Aus
Not to be confused with the Land Down Under, Aus in Namibia is one of the Southern African country’s most obscure villages that is interestingly enough steeped in a rich history and heritage. This sleepy town was once used as a prisoner-of-war camp to detain German soldiers after they had been captured by the South African army during World War One in 1915. These German prisoners initially resided in tents, but later went on to build brick houses for living purposes. The number of detainees rose to as much as 1500, but the camp was dismantled in May 1919 after the Treaty of Versailles was signed and the last of the inmates left the site. Not very much remains of this historically significant legacy, but a signpost has been erected and a few of the houses built by the Germans have been reconstructed; there are also several WW1 graves just north of the town that remains there to this day.
Aus, which lies in the south of Namibia, used to have regular trains commuting to Keetmanshoop in the West and Lüderitz in the East, but has terminated the link to Keetmanshoop while the one to Lüderitz continues. Though it is a relatively small town, Aus has a few amenities namely a hotel, police station, shop, and garage. The town is near to the Aus Mountains and has a dry arid climate, making it an interesting destination for the likes of 4WD competitions and hiking when the weather is conducive for climbing and trekking. Another curious attraction Aus has to offer is the herd of feral horses living in the desert. Though, the conditions are fairly harsh and the origins of these feral horses are unknown, between 150 and 200 of them have a found a way to adapt and continue to live there.
