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The palm-tree lined beach promenade is named after Arnold Schad. He served as mayor of Swakopmund from 1915 until 1918, and again from 1920 until 1931.
Arnold Schad hailed from Berlin, had first moved to SWA / Namibia as a merchant trader in 1888, worked in Otjimbingwe, Lüderitz, but moved to Swakopmund. From 1908 he was a shareholder of "Von Tippelskirch & Co".
Schad was manager of Tippelskirch until 1931.
He was very active in social circles and in public life. He played various instruments, but mainly the violin in musical ensembles, and was member of the "Männergesangverein Swakopmund".
He also served as regional representative of the first "Landesrat für Südwest-Afrika" from 1910.
Towards the end of his second tenure as mayor of Swakopmund, in 1929 Arnold Schad initiated the layout and planting of the beach promenade.
Local palm species like the Makalani palm would not thrive at the coast, because of very salty air. Palm trees were brought from the Canary islands. The Phoenix canariensis Canary island palm tree copes much better with the climate and the salt content.
We managed to find and compile a series of historical photographs, spanning from 1929 until present. All of these happen to be from a similar angle.
