1. 1953-10-00 —
   Edmund ('Ted') Cardell arrived in Windhoek and wss named a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh for South West Africa (Namibia). [BW13:456]
   • He was later joined by his wife Alicia and the first German Bahá'ís to pioneer to Africa, Martin and Gerda Aiff and their children.
   • In 1955 Hilifa Andreas Nekundi, (also known as Tate Hilifa), was the first Namibian to become a Bahá'í. Mr. Nekundi later served on the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Windhoek, and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Namibia. [BWNS280]
2. 2001-03-13 — The passing of Martin Aiff (b. 21 March 1919 in Darmstadt, Germany) in Windhoek, Namibia.

   He became a Bahá’í in 1946 and soon after was appointed to the National Youth Committee in Germany. In 1948, he married Gerda Hafimann and they had six children together. He was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and served as a member of that body from 1957 to 1959, when he left Germany to live and teach the Bahá’í Faith in Afiica during the Ten Year Crusade. The family settled in Southwest Africa (later Namibia) in the capital of Windhoek and remained there until 1967 before moving to Leuderitz and later Tsumeb. Mr. Aiff had a variety of jobs in Namibia, working as a commercial salesman, manager of general stores, school administrator, and manager of arts and crafts centres. For seven years he and his wife had served as caretakers of the German national center, and they performed the same duty at the national center in Windhoek during their residence in that city. Mr. Aiff served on the National Spiritual Assembly of South and West Afnca in 1973—74 and was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Namibia upon its formation in 1981. He was a member of that National Spiritual Assembly from 1981 until 1984 and in 1985. In 1986 he was appointed to the Auxiliary Board, serving that institution until 1996. In its message after his death, the Universal House Of Justice wrote that his persistent activities in Africa would “serve as shining examples of devotion for generations to come.” [BW29 p267]

3. 2005-01-00 — Doris Katzenstein, originally from Germany, pioneered to Lithuania, first to Kalaipeda and finally settling in Palanga where she taught German and English at the Palanga University of the Third Age. [Website]

   She first encountered the Faith on board a ship from fellow passengers, Martin and Gerda Aiff and their children, who where on their way to Windhoek. She retuned to Germany after three years and accepted the Faith in about April of 1963 and after the opening of the Frankfurt Temple in the summer of 1964 she returned to Windhoek, eventually settling in Elizabeth Bay where she served by teaching children's classes. After four years he returned to Germany and locate in Ulm. While preparing to return to Windhoek she received the news of her appointment as an Auxiliary Board Member.

   In 1971 she pioneered to Manaia, Romania where she worked as a tourist guide for 4 1/2 seasons. She did international travel teaching in Korea, Thailand, Rangoon, where she visited Daidanaw, known as Àbdu'l-Bahá's Village. [information from "Thursday Night@7PM" 7 December 2023]

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