Heritage Spaces in South African 'Museums'

Hello All,

I had a really interesting (I think?) heritage experience in Cape Town, whilst I was staying in Stellenbosch for the World Economic History Congress at the University of Stellenbosch.  A heritage 'space' left as an open monument in Cape Town - District 6 - where the black population was forcibly removed in the 1970s during the apartheid regime.

District 6 - the empty spaces left after the clearance of the black inhabitants

District 6 Memorial Plaque

I thought that the empty spaces were a potent signifier for the traumatic events, when the homes of over 60,000 inhabitants were bulldozed. There is a commemorative plaque to the events - 

It felt a bit like an upside down archaeological site; instead of digging to recover the history, you could 'see' the history in the layers above the ground - intangible-tangible heritage.........it was actually quite moving to see these undeveloped spaces.  I understand that there are some plans to rebuild, but I think they should leave it as a memorial as a reminder of the events....

There is a District 6 Museum too, and I did actually try to visit it, but it seemed to be closed...or at least no-one answered the buzzer on the door.  Anyway, I enjoyed the empty spaces of District 6, but wondered if it needed a little more 'interpretation'....but maybe the local memory should be enough?

Mark

Hunslet & Holbeck Heritage Project

Hello All,

we've been very busy lately working on a new Heritage Project - the Hunslet & Holbeck Heritage Project (HHH for short)...This is a project funded by the IGNITE University of Leeds funding initiative...here's a link to the project website so you can see how it's progressing:
 HHH
I've also added HHH to our favourites (see links)....

The project is being run by me and Ruth Dass and Rebecca Wade (who also constructed the distinctive website!...thanks Rebecca!)...do check it out and you can see what interesting heritage things are going on in Leeds!

Mark

South African Museums...Olympic Training!

Hello All,

The blog has been very quiet lately...it's 'summer' (so they say!)...but I just got back from the World Economic History Congress at the University of Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, last week (it was winter there...cold and wet...just like Leeds!).......the conference was HUGE...see: http://www.wehc2012.org/
I had organised a conference session with a friend and colleague of mine (Manuel Charpy...University of Lille) called 'Encountering the Exotic'..(so no explicit museum-related theme...but what are museums if not 'Exotic'!)....

National Art Gallery, Cape Town

  Anyway, thought I'd tell you all about a few museums I went to look at in Cape Town and Stellenbosch (and bore you all!) in my usual trawl around museums - it's also Olympic Year in London, so I might try to get 'museum-visiting' as an Olympic Sport for 2016!...I'm in training for such an event (been in training for years and years actually!)...and I popped into quite a few museums in my SA training regime....basically all on this SA site: http://www.iziko.org.za/

I won't tell you about them all...don't worry, but I did pop in to the South African National Art Gallery...(which was slightly
disappointing, at least in terms of size...('no offence' - read that in an SA accent!)...but had some fabulous displays....

Michaelis Collection, Cape Town

  I think I preferred the Michaelis Collection in the Old Town Hall...a fantastic collection of Dutch and Flemish pictures....a legacy of Dutch Colonial history no doubt....

Anyway....I've got lots of other SA Museum visits to share as part of my Olympic Training....watch out for the museum blur...

Mark