Disa Creative

Directions Website

Disa Creative Creative Workshops • Art • Garden Design • Lüderitz Experiences
A creative enterprise inspired by the unique spirit of Lüderitz. Something for old and young!

We create experiences, products and spaces through art, workshops, gardens and locally inspired design. Creative and active while relaxing...
Therapy while empowering yourself.

One Building — Many Chapters of Lüderitz HistoryAs I work my way through the 24 historic buildings I have selected for t...
27/08/2026

One Building — Many Chapters of Lüderitz History

As I work my way through the 24 historic buildings I have selected for the Lüderitz Heritage Collection, I am discovering that the story of a building does not end with the year it was built.

Sometimes the most interesting stories are what happened afterwards — the people who occupied the building, the businesses that operated there, and the way its purpose changed as Lüderitz itself changed.

One building that has taken me on quite an unexpected journey is the old Deutsche Afrika Bank building.

It was built in 1907 as the Deutsche Afrika Bank. More than a century later, the building is once again a bank.

But what happened in between? 🤔

While researching its history, I came across this old bottles.

It is marked on the back:

“THE PROPERTY OF S. GRUENEWALD
TRADING AS W. LUBOWSKI NACHF.
LÜDERITZ
S.W.A.”

And on the front is a beautiful LÜDERITZ logo.

When I started asking around about the soft-drink and soda-water business, I was told that it was situated behind the present-day Nedbank building, with a grocery shop operating in the building itself.

But I wanted to see if I could find something that connected these stories to the building's history.

And then I found this beautiful historical drawing in Christine Marais' book, Lüderitz – Our Heritage / Ons Erfenis / Unser Erbe.

The drawing of the building actually shows the name:

“LUBOWSKI-NACHF.
S. GRÜNEWALD”

Suddenly, the building was no longer simply THE BANK.

There was another chapter.

And then came another fascinating discovery in the historical building records.

The original file for the Deutsche Afrika Bank building at Bismarck Street 7 contains a municipal reference to:

“Lubowski Nachf. — New garage building.”

So now I have a bottle, a historical drawing and an archival record — all giving me clues connecting the Lubowski / Grunewald name with this property.

❤️ I would love your help.

Does anyone have old photographs of this building which show the Lubowski / Grunewald name or even older which shows the Deutsche Afrika Bank Name?

Perhaps your family lived in Lüderitz and took a photograph where the building is recognisable.

Perhaps you have an old advertisement, business letter, invoice, bottle, photograph or newspaper clipping.

I am trying to reconnect the buildings with the people, businesses and everyday stories that made Lüderitz what it was.

If you recognise Lubowski-Nachf., S. Grunewald, the Deutsche Afrika Bank building, or any of the businesses associated with it, please comment below or send me a message.

Let Lüderitz's long-forgotten history come alive again. Please share your photographs, advertisements and stories.

One building.
Many chapters.
And perhaps many more stories still waiting to be found. ❤️

🔎 Calling all LüderitzBucht lovers, historians & families with old photographs!I am busy researching and developing a Lü...
18/08/2026

🔎 Calling all LüderitzBucht lovers, historians & families with old photographs!

I am busy researching and developing a Lüderitz Heritage Collection, with the dream of creating greater awareness and appreciation for the history, buildings, businesses and stories that make Lüderitz so special.

I came across this fascinating old postcard and it has opened up a whole new line of research for me!

📍 Building: Angra Import Compagnie G.m.b.H.
📍 Street: Bergstraße, Lüderitzbucht
📮 Historical source: Postcard No. 122 – Bergstraße, Lüderitzbucht
📅 Approximate period: around 1912
📜 Company registration: 24 May 1911, H.R.B. 96

The building on the right is the building many of us know today as “Barrels.”

From information I have received during my research, I was told that Barrels was historically involved in importing fresh vegetables and operating as a vegetable wholesaler, and that the building later became a church before Kratzplatz acquired it and incorporated it into its accommodation, restaurant and bar.

BUT… after seeing the name Angra Import Compagnie G.m.b.H. clearly displayed on this postcard, my research has started all over again! 😄

I have now confirmed that Angra Import Compagnie G.m.b.H. was registered in Lüderitz on 24 May 1911 (H.R.B. 96). What I am still trying to establish is exactly what the company imported and traded.

I am therefore looking for anyone who may have information about:

🥕 Gemüse – vegetables
🍎 Obst – fruit
🥫 Lebensmittel – foodstuffs
🛒 Kolonialwaren – grocery/colonial goods
🥬 Gemüsehändler / Gemüse-Großhandlung – vegetable dealer/wholesaler

Was Angra Import Compagnie involved in the fresh-produce or vegetable trade?

Was this the business that later became known locally as Barrels?

Do you know who occupied this building after Angra Import Compagnie?

👀 And what about the building next door?

If you look carefully at the postcard, I can make out what appears to be:

“C. Bec…”

I have found a historical reference to a Carl Becker in Lüderitzbucht, who was listed in later colonial address material as a baker and café proprietor in 1915 - 1920 Cafe Bauer owned by Carl Backer.

I have also been told that the neighbouring building was one of Lüderitz's early bakeries and confectionery stores, serving the growing community during the diamond-rush era, and that the distinctive-pillared building later became a law firm and remained one for many years.

But again — I want to get the facts 100% correct, rather than simply repeat information that has been passed down.

📸 Does anyone have old photographs of either of these buildings?

📜 Do you have family photographs, business advertisements, old documents, newspapers, directories, deeds or stories relating to these businesses?

🏠 Do you remember what these buildings were used for before they became what we know today?

Even a small piece of information could help me connect another part of Lüderitz's history.

I have also included a photograph of the wonderful book Lüderitzbucht damals und gestern, edited by Edda Schoedder, Antje Otto-Reiner and Walter Rusch.

This is a book I am desperately trying to get hold of because it contains photographs, documents, advertisements and historical information about Lüderitz. If anyone has a copy they would be willing to sell, please let me know!

❤️ My goal is not simply to collect old photographs. I want to connect the buildings we see today with the people, businesses and stories that were there before us — and preserve those stories for future generations.

If you can help with information, photographs, documents, memories or even corrections, I would be incredibly grateful.

Please comment below or send me a private message.

Thank you to everyone who helps keep the history of LüderitzBucht alive! ❤️🇳🇦

🏛️ Something special is taking shape at Disa Creative...For a while now I've been working quietly on an idea that combin...
08/08/2026

🏛️ Something special is taking shape at Disa Creative...

For a while now I've been working quietly on an idea that combines several things very close to my heart — Lüderitz, creativity, history and a love for making things with my hands.

Today I finally have something I can show you. ❤️

This is my first completed prototype for a new project I'm working on:

Lüderitz Heritage Collection

Build • Learn • Preserve History

The first little building has been designed, printed, cut and assembled to see whether the idea will actually work as a paper model.

And yes... it does! 🥰

This is only the beginning. There is still a lot of work to do, research to check and history to uncover before the first collection is ready.

My dream is to eventually create a collection of 24 historic Lüderitz buildings, released in small editions, each one allowing you to build a little piece of Lüderitz history yourself.

I'm also getting help from people with a deep knowledge of Lüderitz's history to make sure that the stories behind these buildings are recorded as accurately as possible.

For now, I'm keeping the rest a little secret... 😉

But I couldn't resist sharing the first little glimpse of what has been keeping me busy.

Something special is taking shape...
Lüderitz Heritage Collection — coming together one building at a time. ❤️

In Lüderitz and even in the whole of Namibia and SouthAfrica, it’s not always easy to find beautiful “under the sea” gar...
27/04/2026

In Lüderitz and even in the whole of Namibia and SouthAfrica, it’s not always easy to find beautiful “under the sea” garden décor… so sometimes you just have to create your own 😊

When I came across these blank cement penguins, I simply had to order them—with the vision of transforming them into something that would truly bring a sea-themed garden to life.

Of course, things didn’t go exactly as planned… one arrived damaged during courier 😅
But as a multi-medium artist who loves a challenge, it just became another opportunity to get creative!

From repairing… to painting… to bringing out their character—these little guys are now standing proudly like real-life penguins 🐧

They’re definitely going to add even more life and personality to a Lüderitz sea-themed garden 🌊

Address

485 Woermann Street
Lüderitz
23016

Opening Hours

Monday 07:00 - 00:00
13:00 - 19:00
Tuesday 07:00 - 00:00
13:00 - 19:00
Wednesday 07:00 - 00:00
13:00 - 19:00
Thursday 07:00 - 00:00
13:00 - 19:00
Friday 07:00 - 00:00
13:00 - 19:00
Saturday 09:00 - 00:00

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Disa Creative posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category