Memel, Free State

Province

Memel is a village in South Africa's Free State Province. Memel is situated in the municipality in the district Phumelela Thabo Mofutsanyane. The village is located in the northeast of the province near the borders with the provinces of KwaZulu -Natal and Mpumalanga. It lies at an altitude of 1,734 meters above sea level and had 2011 - including the townships Zamani 7,142 inhabitants. Named the place is to the city of Memel (now Klaipėda) in the former East Prussia. The name comes from the Old Prussian and means something like, surrounded by water '.

Memel was founded in 1911 after the end of the Second Boer War. For this war historical battlefields and some monuments can be visited in and around Memel. Tourism plays a major role for the place. Memel is in close proximity to Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve, a 30 square kilometers covering wetland. In addition, the area offers to Memel to bird watching, as there are 250 to 350 different species of birds here.