Swakopmund brims with numerous historic examples of traditional German architecture. The single-storey Prinzessin Rupprecht Heim was constructed in 1902, and was first used as a military hospital. In 1914 it was transferred to the Bavarian Women's Red Cross, which named it after its patron, Princess Rupprecht, wife of the Bavarian crown prince.
The idea was to expose convalescents to the healthy effects of the sea breeze. Until recently, one wing was still used as a maternity ward (the tourist literature claims it was closed due to a storks' strike).
