Republic of Lijdensrust Republiek Lydensrust | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1885–1887 | |||||||||
.svg) Flag | |||||||||
| Status | Boer Republic | ||||||||
| Capital | Grootfontein | ||||||||
| Common languages | Dutch(written) Afrikaans(spoken) German | ||||||||
| Religion | Dutch Reformed | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
• 1885–1887 | George Diederik P. Prinsloo | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Founding of Upingtonia | October 20 1885 | ||||||||
• Name change to Lijdensrust | 1886 | ||||||||
• William Worthington Jordan killed byNehale Mpingana | 1886 | ||||||||
• Republic collapses | 1886 | ||||||||
•  Merged intoGerman South-West Africa | June 1887 | ||||||||
| Currency | Pound sterling (£) | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Namibia | ||||||||
Lijdensrust, officially theRepublic of Lijdensrust, was a short-livedBoer republic in the area of present-dayNamibia. Declared on 20 October 1885, it was originally namedUpingtonia, but changed its name soon after as the reason for its original name proved worthless. In 1887, it was merged intoGerman South-West Africa.
Between the years 1874 and 1880, farmers migrated from theTransvaal to what was then southernAngola. There, they came into conflict with the Portuguese colonial authorities, and some of their number decided to return to the Transvaal, while others migrated further south.[1]
In 1885,William Worthington Jordan bought a tract (fifty thousand square kilometers) of land from theOndonga chiefKambonde ka Mpingana for three hundredpounds, paid as twenty-five firearms, one salted horse, and a cask of brandy.[2] This land stretched almost 170 kilometres (110 mi) fromOkaukuejo in the west toFischer's Pan in the east.[3] Chief Kambonde relied on the help of Jordan to defeat his rival for power and brother,Nehale lya Mpingana.
Between 1876 and 1879, at the time of theDorsland Trek, Boers had crossed the area, heading for Angola. In 1885 some of these trekkers returned and settled atGrootfontein on land given to them free of charge by Jordan. The Republic of Upingtonia was declared on 20 October 1885.[1] At that time, the population of Upingtonia was around five hundred settlers. The state was named afterThomas Upington, prime minister of theCape Colony, from whom the new state was hoping for support. However, little was forthcoming.[4] In 1886, under the influence of the Boers returning to theTransvaal from southernAngola, the name was changed from Upingtonia to Lijdensrust or Lydensrust.
The short-lived republic's capital was Grootfontein, and itshead of state was PresidentGeorge Diederik P. Prinsloo. The new state fought theHerero and became dependent on German protection. In 1886 Jordan was killed by Nehale ly Mpingana, and the republic collapsed. The next year the area it had covered was incorporated into German South-West Africa.[5]
