Namibia Collection

Collection materials in format

Analogue

The Namibia Collection contains approximately 400 titles of literature written in the languages of Ovamboland, currently Namibia, from 1876 up until the 1980

Collection description

The Namibia Collection contains approximately 400 titles of literature written in the languages of Ovamboland, currently Namibia, from 1876 up until the 1980s. The collection contains primarily religious literature but also guides in the local languages, such as alphabet books, grammars and other text books, fiction, fairytales and stories. The collection also includes periodicals.

The basis of the national literature of Namibia was created by Finnish missionaries from the 1870s on. The books were printed in Finland up to the early-1900s.. The first published book was Pietari Kurvinen's alphabet book in Ndonga language, ABD Moshindonga, from 1876. The missionaries got their own printing press in Oniipa in 1901, but books were still also printed in Finland, sometimes London or even Cape Town. The first books printed in Oniipa were catechisms in Ndonga and Uukuanjama languages published in 1902. Finnish missionaries have published literature in Ndonga for over 100 years.

The Namibia Collection does not include literature on missionary work or conditions in Ovamboland or Namibia written in Finnish.

Collection languages

Material type

Books
journals

Accrual status

Completed

Temporal coverage of the collection

modern times (1900-)