Translation of scanned German documents:
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Minden, 22 November 1949
4 Hafen Street
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CV / Resumé
Of the government's building senior civil servant (building magistrate) Wilhelm Meyer,
Born: 4.11.1881 in Oldenburg, son of master-carpenter
Wilhelm Meyer, baptised Protestant.
Schooling: 1888 - 1896 Bürger School Nordenham
Practical training: 9.4.1896 – 8.4.1899 learning carpentry trade in Lehe, from 9.4.1899 – 12.10.1901 as carpenter's assistant in Bremerhaven, Nordenham, Hamburg and Bremen. He underwent theoretical training at the same time.
Theoretical training: 4 Semesters at higher technical educational institution in Buxtehude, from 20.10.99 – 22.3.1902.
Final building engineers' exam on 22.3.1902.
Employment: 7.4.1902 – 15.10.1902 as engineer of new buildings of the royal experimental institution for hydraulic engineering and shipping in Berlin-Charlottenburg. (23.10.1902 – 22.9.1904 active military service)
1.10.1904 – 30.4.1905 as architect in studio of royal advisors (geheimrat (secret council: title for deserved civil servant) building councillors Kayser & von Grozheim in Berlin.
21.4.1905 contract with Berlin Department of Foreign Affairs for duty in colonial service. Leave for Southwest Africa beginning May 1905.
5.6.1905 – 22.7.1919 in Southwest Africa, to be precise:
6.5.1905 – 7.9.1907 Port Authority (building) Swakopmund, design work for landing facilities, building manager of hydraulic- and construction engineering, surveying work, sea measuring (bearings) to determine landing areas, drilling holes in coastal area, building police, water management, Swakopmund.
8.8.07-15.12.1907 and from 5.6.1908 – 7.4.1912 (in the mean time from 16.12.1907 – 4.6.1908 defence force Southwest Africa (Namibia)). Head of Port Authority building office Lüderitzbucht, SWA (Namibia). Works at Port Authority Swakopmund, further more own construction business, extensive investigation into the life and destruction area of marine bore worms on scientific basis at experimental installation, building of landing bridges, built lighthouses on Diaz Point and Haifisch island, fog signal facility, concreting of coast, execution of toll buildings, officials' housing, schools police stations, etc.
8.4.1912 – 30.4.1914 Port Authority Swakopmund. With the new construction of landing bridge and all related Port Authority building industry work, city management on the side. Buildings for City Council (new buildings of Volks- and Real Schools (high school teaching Latin), building of biological sewage treatment plant, etc). Lecturing subjects at the Pflichtfortbildungschule (compulsory continuation school.)
1.5.1914 – 30.6.194 Deputised to Windhoek Government. Geotechnical report of hot spring – erf where Governor's house was in order to determine load-bearing capacity. Design work of Government buildings.
1.7.1914 – 7.8.1914 Continuation of work at Port Authority Swakopmund.
(8.8.1914 – 20.7.1915 War service defence force South West Africa).
21.7.1915 – 31.12.1918 Execution of technical work for private clients and academic teaching.
1.1.1919 – 1.7.1919 in Cape-Cross. Management of Guano quarrying / removal and shipping to Cape Town.
22.7.1919 as former government official of SWA (Namibia) removed with his wife and three children over Walvis Bay to Germany.
Military Service: Active 23.10.1902 – 22.09.1904 First Pioneer Battalion Spandau.
16.12.1907 – 4.6.1908 Pion. troop south no 2 of the Imperial Defence Force for SWA (Namibia).
8.8.1914 – 20.7.1915 Imperial Defence Force for SWA (Namibia).
Official life: In Germany after his return from SWA (Namibia).
18.8.1919 – 14.10.1920 at Reconstruction Ministry, Berlin
15.10.1920 – 31.3.1922 Empire Property Office, Minden
1.4.1922 – 30.11.1947 Empire Building Authority Minden, from 1940 until retirement, Head of above-mentioned authority.
Marriage: 4.11.1911 with Elsbeth Bause Lüderitzbucht.
Of my 3 children born in Swakopmund, my youngest daughter Helene is married to the farmer Armin Redecker on the farm Westfalenhof, Post Wilhelmstal.
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Copy
Written confirmation
The technical Government Inspector Wilhelm Meyer is well known to me in my former capacity as Head of the Construction Department in Southwest Africa. He was at that time first class technician at Port Authority in Swakopmund. In passing he was also active in the Construction Department of the Windhoek Government, where he was busy with execution of building plans etc. under my management. Here I not only came to know Meyer as a very industrious and conscientious official, but also as technician with excellent competencies. Meyer showed advanced knowledge in especially building design. It was my wish to send him to the Construction Department in Windhoek and to suggest him for the post of Head, but unfortunately because of the large landing bridge project, he was as a well-trained official indispensible to the Port Authority in Swakopmund. If Meyer could have left Port Authority, he would have been without a doubt the evident choice for the position of Head of the Government’s Construction Department.
Berlin, 19 February 1929
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Signed Redecker
Former head of building industry
Southwest Africa (Namibia)
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Written confirmation
On the basis of my former capacity as district officer in Lüderitzbucht and – temporarily – as deputy director of the Personnel Office of the German-Southwest Africa government, I hereby confirm that from the years 1907 to 1911 Mr Wilhelm Meyer headed the branch office of the Swakopmund Port Authority in Lüderitzbucht as First Class Technician, where he lead a big building company and over all held a responsible, self-sufficient position, where he submitted himself to it in such a way that after he left, he was replaced by a Government architect;
that he was transferred in 1912 to Port Authority in Swakopmund where he took over the position of a secretary;
that there was provision in the 1915 budget to create a position for a scheduled Government secretary at the Port Authority in Swakopmund, that was to be filled by Mr. Meyer, and that it was already planned to convert this imminently into an executive position;
that due to the War and the loss of the protective area, these plans did unfortunately not come to fruition and that Mr Meyer was therefore greatly harmed by his departure.
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A.Seilingbrunner
Acting Legation Council
Secret Government Council
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(Translation by Yolanda van der Vyfer) List of projects With photographs
 With notes
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