History of Omaruru In the Herero language Omaruru means "bitterness", which is a direct reference to the bitter tasting water in the area. This bitterness could even be tasted in the milk of the herds of the tribesmen. The Herero tribesmen were also directly involved in the establishment of Omaruru as a settlement. On 17 January 1904 the Herero people of this area joined the rebellion of their fellow Hereros in the north. The attack was planned long in advance and caught the German settlers by surprise. The small group of German military at Omaruru was unable to assist the farmers and had to fight off numerous attacks. Captain Franke of the Schutztruppe was stationed at Gibeon, where they were fighting against the Bondelswarts, but when news of the attacks at Omaruru reached him, his troups and himself arrived within five days at Omaruru. The troups were demoralized and scared off by the number of Hereros which was tenfold to the German troups. In an effort to rescue the situation, Franke charged all by himself against the Hereros to break through to his beleagered soldiers. The result was, that his demoralized troups were so impressed by his bravery, that they followed him into the battle. The Herero did not expect this and took flight, Omaruru was under the control of the German Schutztruppe once again. The Franke Tower in Omaruru was named after Captain Franke.   close window