Die rol van Dr. J. Theophilus Hahn in Suider-Afrika, 1871-1905

Date
1993-12
Authors
Hahn, Hildegarde L.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Johann Theophilus Hahn, seun van die Rynse sendeling, J. -Samuel Hahn, is gebore op die sendingstasie Ebenhaeser (Lutzville) op 24 Desember 1842. As 'n seun op die sendingstasies Ebenaeser en Bethanien en Berseba in Suidwes-Afrika (Namibie), het hy geleer om die verskillende Khoisandialekte te praat. Ter wille van sy kinders se akademiese opleiding het Samuel Hahn in 1852 na Duitsland teruggekeer. Daar het Theophilus hornas uitstaande student bewys en in 1870 het hy sy doktorsgraad verwerf met die proefskrif Die - Sprache der Nama; nebst einem Anhang enthaltend Sprachproben aus dem Munde des Volkes. Terwyl hy aan die universiteit van Halle studeer het, het hy 'n aantal etnologiese artikels oor die inheemse volkere van Suidwes-Afrika (Namibie) geskryf. Met sy terugkeer na Suid-Afrika in 1871, het hy 'n handelaar in Suidwes-Afrika geword. Na sy huwelik in 1875 met Marianne Esther de La Roche Smuts het hy in Rehoboth gaan bly en aldaar 'n handelsaak begin. Hahn het Suidwes-Afrika in 1878 verlaat, nadat dit duidelik geword het dat die Kaapse regering se entoesiasme vir optrede noord van die Oranjerivier afgeneem het, as gevolg van sy militere probleme op die oosgrens, in Griekwaland-Wes en Basoetoland. Hy het daarna by sy broer Johannes, wat Rynse sendeling op Stellenbosch was, gaan woon. Aldaar het hy die eerste landkaart van Suidwes-Afrika, Original map of Namaqualand and Damaraland, voltooi. In 1881 is hy as regeringsfiloloog en bewaarder van die Grey-versameling in die Suid-Afrikaanse Openbare Biblioteek (Suid-Afrikaanse Biblioteek) aangestel. Sy aanstelling het veroorsaak dat die Hooggeregshof deur die Grey-trustees versoek is om die versameling aan hulle oor te dra en om Hahn te verbied om met die Grey-versameling in te meng. Die applikasie is deur die Hooggeregshof van die hand gewys. Terwyl hy vir die Kaapse regering gewerk het, het hy aan die Cape Native Laws and Customs Commission inligting omtrent die Nama- en Herero-kultuur verskaf. Hierdie kommissie was deur die Kaapse regering aangestel om inligting aangaande die wette en gewoontes van die inheemse volkere in te win en om verslag te doen aangaande die wesenlikheid van die instelling van 'n soort stelsel van plaaslike selfregering in die swart gebiede. Vanaf sy plaas Prospect Hill het Hahn 'n brief geskryf aan die agent van Adolf Llideritz,Heinrich Vogelsang, waarin hy waardevolle inligting oor die moontlikhede van Suidwes-Afrika gemeld het en het aan die hand gegee dat LlideritzAngra Pequena (Llideritzbaai)vir handeldoeleindes moes bekom. In 1883 het hy as regeringsfiloloog en Grey-bibliotekaris bedank en het toe die plaasbestuurder van Welmoed, in die distrik van Stellenbosch, geword. As wynboer het hy voorgestel dat n kooperasie vir die produsering van wyn gestig word, asook spoediger optrede met die bestryding van die fillokseraplaag. Met Hahn se hulp het die Kharaskhoma Exploring and Prospecting Syndicate, 'n maatskappy wat in Londen gebaseer was, in 1890 belangrike konsessies van die Bondelswart- en Velskoendraerkapteins in Suidwes-Afrika bekom. Dit was 'n monopolie vir die eksploitering van minerale, regte om handel te dryf en om spoorwee aan te le~ Na die regte van hierdie sindikaat aan die South African Territories Company .oorgedra is, het Hahn weer Suidwes-Afrika verlaat en die plaas Blaauwklip (Blaauwklippen) by Stellenbosch gekoop. Sy pogings om te boer het misluk en die plaas is na sy bankrotskap aan Cecil John Rhodes verkoop. Daarna het hy agent vir Equitable Life Assurance Society in Johannesburg geword. Terwyl hy by Markstraat 206, Johannesburg gewoon het, het hy onsuksesvol aansoek gedoen om as spioen vir die Britse Militere Regering op te tree. Hy het op 22 Januarie 1905 gesterf en is in die Braamfonteinse begraafplaas begrawe.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Johann Theophilus Hahn, son of the Rhenish missionary J. Samuel Hahn, was born at the mission station Ebenaeser (Lutzville) on 24 December 1842. As a boy at the mission stations Ebenaeser and Berseba and Bethanien in South West Africa (Namibia) he learned to speak the different Khoisan dialects. Samuel Hahn left for Germany in 1852, for the sake of his children~s academic training. There Theophilus proved himself as an outstanding student and he obtained his doctorate in 1870 on the dissertation Die Sprache der Nama; nebst einem Anhang enthaltend Sprachproben aus dem Munde des Volkes. While studying at the University of Halle he published a number of ethnological studies relating to the aborigines of South West Africa (Namibia). On his return to South Africa, he became a trader in South West Africa. After his marriage in 1875 to Marianne Esther de La Roche Smuts he settled at Rehoboth, where he started a trading business. Hahn left South West Africa in 1878, after it became clear that the Cape Government's enthusiasm for action north of the Orange River waned, as a result of its own military burdens on the eastern border, in Griqualand West and Basutoland. He went to live with his brother Johannes, a Rhenish missionary at Stellenbosch, where he completed the first map of South West Africa - Original map of Namagualand and Damaraland. In 1881 he was appointed as government philologist and custodian of the Grey Collection in the South African Public Library. His appointment as Grey custodian gave rise to an application to the Supreme Court to have the care and custody of the Grey Collection given up to the Grey Trustees and for an interdict to restrain Hahn from interfering with the Grey Collection. This application by the Grey Trustees was refused by the Supreme Court. In 1883 he provided the Cape Native Laws and Customs Commission information regarding the Nama and Herero cultures. This commission was directed by the Cape Government to enquire into the laws and customs of the Blacks and to report on the advisability of introducing some system of local self-government in the Black territories. While living at his farm Prospect Hill, he wrote a letter to the agent of Adolf Llideritz,Heinrich Vogelsang, in which he supplied valuable information about the prospects of South West Africa and suggested that Llideritzacquire Angra Pequena (LlideritzBay) as a harbour for trading purposes. He resigned as philologist and Grey Librarian in 1883 and became the manager of the farm Welmoed, in the district of Stellenbosch. As a wine-farmer he proposed the establishing of a co-operative for the production of wine, also prompt action for combating the phylloxera disease. With the assistance of Hahn the mining company Kharaskhoma Exploring and Prospecting Syndicate, a company based in London, obtained in 1890 important concessions from the chiefs of Bondelswart and Veldskoendraers - a monopoly for the exploitation of minerals, rights to trade and to contruct railways. After the syndicate transfered its rights to the South African Territories Company, he left South West Africa and bought th farm Blaauwklip (Blaauwklippen) at Stellenbosch. His farming attempts proved a disaster and his farm was sold to Cecil John Rhodes. He became an agent for the Equitable Life Assurance Society in Johannesburg and while residing at 206 Market Street he offered to act as a spy for the British Military Government. This was declined. He died on 22 January 1905 and was buried in the Braamfontein cemetery.
Description
Thesis (MA)-- University Stellenbosch, 1993.
Keywords
South Africa -- History -- 1836-1909 -- Biography, Hahn, J. Theophilus (Johann Theophilus), 1842-1905, Theses -- History, Dissertations -- History
Citation