Turnhalle

Windhoek

The Turnhalle was built in 1909 as a training hall for the Windhoek Gymnastic Club, though in 1975 it was modernised and turned into a conference hall. On 1 September of that year, it served as the venue for the first Constitutional Conference on Independence for South West Africa, which subsequently – and more conveniently – came to be called the Turnhalle Conference. During the 1980s, the building hosted several political summits and debates that paved the way to Namibian independence.

It now houses a tribunal for the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

Contact

Address

Bahnhof St

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Christuskirche
0.5 MILES
Windhoek’s best-recognised landmark, and something of an unofficial symbol of the city, this German Lutheran church stands on a traffic island and lords…
Daan Viljoen Game Park
8.84 MILES
This beautiful wildlife park sits in the Khomas Hochland about 18km west of Windhoek. You can walk to your heart’s content through lovely wildlife-rich…
National Museum of Namibia
0.16 MILES
The excellent display on Namibia’s independence at the country’s historical museum provides some enlightening context to the struggles of this young…
Zoo Park
0.45 MILES
Although this leafy park served as a public zoo until 1962, today it functions primarily as a picnic spot and shady retreat for lunching office workers…
Tintenpalast
0.54 MILES
The former administrative headquarters of German South West Africa have been given a new mandate as the Namibian parliament building. As a fitting homage…
Trans-Namib Transport Museum
0.34 MILES
Windhoek’s beautiful old Cape Dutch–style train station on Bahnhof St was constructed by the Germans in 1912, and was expanded in 1929 by the South…
Independence Memorial Museum
0.63 MILES
Opened in 2014, this museum is dedicated to the country's anticolonial and independence struggle. The first floor tells the story of Namibia under…
Kaiserliche Realschule
0.55 MILES
Windhoek’s first German primary school was built in 1908, and opened the following year with a class size of 74 students. Notice the curious turret with…

View more attractions

Nearby Windhoek attractions

1. National Art Gallery

0.12 MILES

This art gallery contains a permanent collection of works reflecting Namibia’s historical and natural heritage. The collection displays works by…

2. National Museum of Namibia

0.16 MILES

The excellent display on Namibia’s independence at the country’s historical museum provides some enlightening context to the struggles of this young…

3. Owela Museum

0.22 MILES

Part of the National Museum of Namibia, located about 600m from the main building, exhibits at the Owela Museum focus on Namibia’s natural and cultural…

4. Old Supreme Court

0.22 MILES

Dating from 1908, the gabled brick Old Supreme Court was a court from 1920 to 1930, when the legal system was changing from the German to the South…

5. Trans-Namib Transport Museum

0.34 MILES

Windhoek’s beautiful old Cape Dutch–style train station on Bahnhof St was constructed by the Germans in 1912, and was expanded in 1929 by the South…

6. Owambo Campaign Memorial

0.34 MILES

At the entry to the train station parking area, you’ll see the Owambo Campaign Memorial, which was erected in 1919 to commemorate the 1917 British and…

7. Gathemann’s Complex

0.38 MILES

Along Independence Ave are three colonial-era buildings, all designed by the famous architect Willi Sander. The one furthest south was built in 1902 as…

8. Old Magistrates’ Court

0.4 MILES

This old courthouse was built in 1898 for Carl Ludwig, the state architect, but it was never used and was eventually drafted into service as the…

View more attractions

placement: superzone
path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],

targeting:

{
  "url": "namibia/windhoek/attractions/turnhalle/a/poi-sig/439444/355537",
  "destination": "Windhoek",
  "continent": "Africa",
  "country": "Namibia",
  "city": "Windhoek",
  "position": "superzone"
}