Bloemfontein gedurende die bewind van president F.W. Reitz, 1889-1895: 'n kultuurhistoriese studie

[摘要] English: Francis William Reitz served as the fifth State President of the Boer republic of the Orange Free State from January 1889 to December 1895. This study discusses both the material and nonmaterial culture of Bloemfontein and the way of life of the inhabitants, during President Reitz's time in office. During the Reitz period the town of Bloemfontein developed rapidly and the community underwent far-reaching changes. The arrival of the first railway in Bloemfontein in 1890 was the main incentive for the town's rapid development and created new markets, resulting in greater prosperity and an increase in population. This in turn resulted in a growth in housing, the development of infrastructure and improvements in many areas. By the end of the Reitz period the Free State capital was a prosperous town with a relatively wide range of businesses, impressive public buildings, stately houses, several good schools, a wide range ofreligious denominations and a model black township. The advent of the railway marked the end of the town's previous isolation, and contact with other towns and people was expanded. The white population was of cosmopolitan origin but the Dutch-speaking Afrikaners, English-speaking inhabitants, Germans and Jews, all played a leading role in the community. In general persons of different nationalities were on good terms with each other and white people of different nationalities were welcomed heartily to the Bloemfontein community of those days. The relationship between white and black inhabitants was that of master and servant and blacks were subjected to many regulations and restrictions. Therefore the social conditions of the brown and black people were inclined to be poor. Bloemfontein only had a very small Indian community, and in 1890 the Indians were prohibited from farming or conducting businesses in the Orange Free State, with the result that most of the Indian traders soon left Bloemfontein. New Indian settlement was largely discouraged. Dutch was the official language of the Boer republic, but English was so widely spoken in Bloemfontein that the Free State capital had a predominantly English character. By this time Dutch was already gradually developing into Afrikaans. In the 1890s Bloemfontein, with its dry healthy climate, was widely known as a health resort, especially for people with lung diseases and consumption. Patients from all over the world came to the Free State capital in search of better health. But despite the healthy climate, poor sanitary conditions and polluted water sometimes led to epidemics, such as diphtheria, typhoid fever and smallpox, and an increase in the death rate. Drought, locust plagues and the division of former large farms into smaller units, gave rise to an increased influx of poor-white people (especially Afrikaners) to the capital, in search of jobs. The social life of the more prosperous part of the white population was informal and lively and there was no shortage of recreation and entertainment. After the coming of the railway many overseas entertainers performed in Bloemfontein. The capital also had its own talented singers and musicians, and a variety of cultural societies and organizations enriched the lives of the inhabitants further. The strong Late Victorian influence was reflected in the clothing, interior decoration, furniture, food, garden layout and social traditions of Bloemfontein's inhabitants. The church and religion influenced almost every aspect of the people's lives, as they regarded religion to be of prime importance. Both the government and church were involved with education and in 1895 the Orange Free State became the first South African country to implement a system of compulsory education for white children. The Anglican Church played a vital role in the education of brown and black people.

[发布机构] University of the Free State