(scroll down for English)
In vergelyking met baie Europese dorpe is Stellenbosch 'n kleuter wat ouderdom betref. Tog is dit die oudste dorp in Suid-Afrika, naas Kaapstad. Stellenbosch is die tuiste van 'n groot hoeveelheid argiefstukke en historiese rekords.
Een van die mees gedetailleerde boeke wat ons tans besit oor die dorp is Stellenbosch Drie Eeue, ‘n gedenkboek wat in die jaar 1979 uitgegee is om die 300 jaar bestaan van die dorp te vier. ‘n Paar jaar voor die fees het die stadsraad opdrag gegee aan 35 deskundiges op die gebied van geologie, flora & fauna, argitektuur, kerke en sending, onderwys, kultuurlewe en sport, om die dorp se verskillende fassette te bestudeer en te beskryf.
Ek is trots dat een van die insetsels deur my oupa, Japie Coetsee, geskryf is - 'n artikel oor Dirk Coetse(e) van die plaas Coetzenburg. My oupa het saammet die heemkring (Stellenbosch se belangegroep vir argiefstukke) ‘n hoofstuk geskryf oor die sosiale lewe en ‘kleurryke persoonlikhede van Stellenbosch’.
Die woord heemkring is insigself interessant. “Heem” het dieselfde betekenis as ‘home’, en word ook gebruik in die woorde ‘inheems’ en ‘uitheems’ (dit het ek by my Oupa geleer). Die Stellenbosse Heemkring het in 1968 tot stand gekom en bestaan steeds - hou die koerante se gemeenskapskalender dop om te sien wanneer en waar hul bymekaarkom.
Ek gebruik Stellenbosch Drie Eeu vir meeste van my ander blogs. Die massiewe 460-bladsy boek bied heelwat waardevolle prente en dokumente, soos die handtekening van Simon van der Stel, Hertzog se 1817 kaart, akwarelle deur Bowler, en die klagskrif (of petisie) wat Adam Tas en die 14 ander burgers in 1706 aan die Here XVII gestuur het.
Die burgemeester tydens die eeufees verduidelik dat ‘n boek van hierdie aard die gevaar loop “om ongelees te bly staan op die rak”, indien dit nie ‘n goeie balans tussen feitelike kennis en lesersvriendelikheid behou nie. In my geval het hierdie balans nie ontbreek nie; Sedert ek Stellenbosch Drie Eeue die eerste keer uit my ouers se boekrak gehaal het, het die boek my keer op keer geboei.
Een van my gunstelingfeite is dat die eerste verkeersboete in 1848 (!) toegeken is aan ‘n sekere Jammie van Mostaard baai (sic.) wat geweier het om sy kar en osse uit Dorpstraat te verwyder, tot hindernis van die publiek.
Nog een is dat daar in 1750 besluit is dat Stellenbosch nou vol is(!) (die huidige inwoners het reeds te veel skuld en daar is te min weiding rondom die dorp om nog gesinne te onderhou). Ek wonder wat hul sou dink van die 155,733 inwoners wat tans hier bly.
Baie het verander sedert 1976 toe die boek gepubliseer is, en ek hoop dat ons toenemend die stories sal hoor wat daarin weggelaat is, stories soos dié van Die Vlakte. Stellenbosch was nog altyd 'n dorp wat die tuiste was van 'n verskeidenheid mense ten spyte van die stormagtige 1960’s (met grondsgebiedewet), en nog vroeër (met die praktyke van slawerny). Gaan kyk gerus na interessante statistieke oor Stellenbosch en waar die dorp hom tans bevind - www.statssa.gov.za.
Ek lig my hoed vir die samestellers van hierdie ambiseuse boek, die verskeidenheid temas en staaltjies, die uitleg van die projek wat soveel meer bied as die tipiese, chronologiese geskiedenisboek.
Hou ons blog dop vir nog interessante feite oor Stellenbosch!
--------------leef Stellenhosch----------------
Stellenbosch's first traffic fine (and more)
In comparison to most European cities, Stellenbosch is a toddler in terms of its age. Nonetheless, it is the oldest town in South Africa following Cape Town, and contains a large amount of archival documents and historical records.
One of the most detailed books we have about the town is Stellenbosch Drie Eeue, published in 1979 to celebrate the 300 years of the town’s existence. A few years beforehand, the town council at the time commissioned 35 specialists in the fields of geology, flora & fauna, architecture, church and missions, education and culture and sports, to research the variety of facets of the town’s past.
I am proud to say that a short section in the book was written by my grandfather, Japie Coetsee, who researched the life of his forefather Dirk Coets(e) and his farm Coetzenburg. This forms part of a chapter on the social life and characters from Stellenbosch’s past, writeen by the heemkring (the interest group for protecting Stellenbosch's archival material).
The word heemkring is not a common Afrikaans word, but has an interesting meaning. The prefix ‘heem’ means the same as ‘home’ and is used to describe things that are homegrown/indigenous (inheems) or foreign (uitheems) - I learned that from my Grandfather as well. The Stellenbosse Heemkring was established in 1968 and still exists. Check out a local newspaper’s community calendar to see where and when they meet.
I use this book for most of my blogs. The massive 460 page book offers a great amount of valuable images, such as the signature of Simon van der Stel, a map drawn by Hertzog in 1817, aquarelle sketches by Bowler, and the official complaint papers signed by Adam Tas and fourteen other burghers, to be sent to the Here XVII in 1706.
The mayor at the time of its publication explains that a book of this nature has the danger of ending up on the shelf, unread, if it doesn’t maintain a good balance between factual information and readability. In my case this balance has been successful; since I first took Stellenbosch Drie Eeue from my parent’s bookshelf, it has fascinated me endlessly.
One of my favourite facts is that the first traffic fine was written in 1848 (!) to a certain Jammie van Mostaard baai (sic.) who refused to move his horse and cart from Dorpstreet, to the annoyance of the public.
Another is that in 1750 it was decided that Stellenbosch is full(!) (since the current residents have too much debt and there are too little grazing space to support more families). I wonder what they would make of the 155,733 people staying here now.
A lot has changed since the book was published in 1976, and I hope that the stories omitted in it, such as that of Die Vlakte, will be told more and more. Stellenbosch has always been home to a wide variety of people, and despite the tumultuous 1960s (with the group areas act) and earlier practices of slavery, many have called it home. Some interesting statistics about Stellenbosch today can be found at www.statssa.gov.za.
Kudos to the compilers of Stellenbosch Drie Eeue, an ambitious book with a variety of themes and stories, and with a layout that offers so much more than a typical history book.
Keep reading our blogs for more interesting facts!
--------------live Stellenbosch-------------