Travel Guide Aus

Strategically located along the railroad line between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz, Aus was used as a prison camp from 1915 onwards following the German surrender to the South Africans. The prisoners were mostly farmers rather than soldiers. Because of the harsh weather conditions (harsh winters and hot summers), the prisoners began to make bricks and build barracks for themselves rather than stay in tents. The site was closed in 1919 after the last prisoners were released. Almost nothing remains of the camp, which housed up to 1,500 prisoners. Aus allows a halt for the last refueling before the crossing of the Namib. The village used to welcome travelers who arrived by train. Today, the station only receives goods. The two grocery stores of Aus allow a meager but reliable supply. On the other side of the B4 track, just opposite, a dirt road leads up to the village of the natives. Small concrete and tin huts line the wide streets. These are the houses of the workers' families who have been surviving without resources since the closure of most of the copper and iron mines. Aus will not attract most travelers, but the Klein Aus Vista ranch, a few kilometers from the village, is a nice stopover between the Namib-Naukluft Park and Lüderitz.