Aus, this tranquil little desert town is situated east of Lüderitz and the name means 'out' in German but may be derived from a Khoi-Khoi word which means the 'place of the snakes'. Aus is tucked between the folds of several hills.  It was formerly the site of a prisoner-of-war camp, established by the South African army in 1915, to house German inmates captured during the First World War.  The inmates initially lived in tents but later built brick houses.  The number of prisoners reached 1500 but by May 1919 the last inmates left and the camp closed.  A plaque marks the site today and some of the houses have been reconstructed.