Background
The son of a German Schutztruppe soldier and a Herero mother, Schimming was born in 1908 during imperial German rule of Namibia.
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Otto Schimming
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He was the first black teacher in Namibia when he founded the Rietquelle School. A street in Katutura is named after him. By the age of 10, Schimming could speak three languages.
All of Schimming"s children received post-secondary education in South Africa, causing suspicion of thievery by the White South African authorities and regular raids of the household in search of stolen diamonds.
He was the father of politician Nora Schimming-Chase. Schimming died on 7 December 2005 and is buried on the family farm near Rehoboth, Namibia.
He received an education from missionaries and eventually studied education at Lovedale Mission Station in South Africa. Upon completing his education at Lovedale, Schimming returned to South West Africa and was by urged Chief Hosea Kutako to start a school for Herero-speaking children in Aminuis.
The Rietquelle School was founded and for a time, Schimming was the school"s only teacher.
In the first year, Schimming taught 150 pupils, In the afternoons he would build structures where the children could stay. He also acquired a rifle which he would hunt for meat during weekends to supply food for the children. During this time he found himself before a magistrate in Gobabis for shooting wild dogs and was find one shilling and a six pence.
He was also an advisor to the Herero Chiefs Council and secretary to Kutako.
In that position, Schimming drafted the first letter to the United Nations protesting the proposed formal incorporation of the then South West Africa into South Africa. Two years later, Schimming was hired as the chief translator for Windhoek"s municipality because of his skill with languages.
He could speak Afrikaans, German, Damara and Nama, Herero, Oshivambo, English, Xhosa and Latin. In 1962, he accompanied international inspectors to Namibia as a translator to inspect the conditions in the country and report back to the United Nations.
