Germans in South Africa during and in the aftermath of World War Two : the dynamics and contradictions of internment, 1939–1948

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dc.contributor.advisorGrundlingh, Albert M.en_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorGrundlingh, A. M., 1948-en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorGess, David Wolfgangen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorGess, D. W. (David W.)en_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-25T13:59:12Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T23:52:42Z
dc.date.available2024-01-25T13:59:12Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T23:52:42Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: On 1 September 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, and two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany. Three days later, South Africa, by a slim parliamentary vote, rejected a motion of neutrality and also chose to declare war. Public sentiment was split between supporters of the war policy of General Smuts and the Afrikaner nationalists who bitterly opposed the war and sympathised with Germany. In neighbouring South West Africa, a former German colony administered by South Africa as a mandate, a significant German population had sought to preserve German influence and Deutschtum and wanted the territory to be returned to Germany. Immediately upon the declaration of war, the South African Government commenced with the internment of German nationals in South Africa and South West Africa and contributed to the general war effort by providing accommodation for German internees removed from British territories in Africa and captured German merchant seamen. The number of internments was initially relatively small and focused primarily on Nazi Party leaders and membership, but later, in the context of fear of Fifth Column activities, general internments in greater numbers followed in 1940. During the course of the war, up to one third of the German male population of South West Africa was removed to South Africa and interned at Andalusia. There is an almost complete absence of any scholarly investigation of South Africa’s internment policy relating to Germans, its implementation, and the experiences of German men held in the internment camps. The purpose of this study was to undertake a detailed analysis of the formation and implementation of the internment policy, including how it affected German women, anti-Nazis and Jewish refugees. It examines how internees established leadership structures and organised themselves politically, adopted strategies for passing the time, and finally explores the issue of war time repatriation of German civilians through negotiated schemes for exchanges. This study reviewed previously unexamined archival sources and private papers. It concludes, firstly, that South Africa adopted and applied provisions analogous to the Geneva Convention of 1929 to all civilian internees, including merchant seamen. Internment was limited to German men. Secondly, internee communities in the main camps of Baviaanspoort and Andalusia developed their own identities, experiencing different internal struggles for leadership and political control. Thirdly, once internees realised that an early release was unlikely, most engaged in various activities to pass the time, aware of the negative psychological effects of long-term confinement known as Stacheldraadkrankheit, or barbed-wire sickness. Finally, making German civilians available for exchange through repatriation to wartime Germany, particularly with the Drottningholm repatriation of June 1944, met the dual purposes of obtaining the release of Commonwealth citizens held by Germany and advancing a policy of repatriating or deporting as many Germans as was possible. In conclusion, South Africa’s internment policy can be considered as being a successful measure in protecting the Home Front, but at the same time, there is little doubt that some internments, solely on account of German nationality, were unnecessary and unjustified.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hitler het Poland op 1 September 1939 binnegeval, en twee dae later het Frankryk en Brittanje teen Duitsland oorlog verklaar. Drie dae later verslaan Suid-Afrika ‘n mosie van neutraliteit met ‘n skraal parlementêre stem en kies ook om oorlog te verklaar. Openbare opinie was egter verdeel tussen ondersteuners van Generaal Smuts se oorlogsbeleid en die Afrikanernasionaliste wie bitterlik teen die oorlog gekant was en met Duitsland gesimpatiseer het. In die naburige Suidwes-Afrika, ‘n voormalige Duitse kolonie wat deur Suid-Afrika as 'n mandaat geadministreer is, het ‘n beduidende Duitse bevolking probeer om Duitse invloed en Deutschtum te bewaar aangesien hulle wou hê dat die gebied aan Duitsland terugbesorg word. Onmiddellik na die oorlogsverklaring het die Suid-Afrikaanse regering met die internering van Duitse burgers in Suid-Afrika en Suidwes-Afrika begin en tot die algemene oorlogspoging bygedra deur huisvesting aan Duitse geïnterneerdes, wie uit Britse gebiede in Afrika verwyder is en Duitse koopvaarders wie gevange geneem het, te verskaf. Die aantal internerings was aanvanklik betreklik klein en het hoofsaaklik op Nazi-partyleiers en - lidmaatskap gefokus, maar later, uit vrees vir Vyfde Kolom-aktiwiteite, het algemene internerings in groter getalle in 1940 gevolg. Gedurende die verloop van die oorlog was tot een derde van die Duitse manlike bevolking van Suidwes-Afrika na Suid-Afrika verwyder en in Andalusië geïnterneer. Daar is ‘n amper algehele afwesigheid van enige wetenskaplike ondersoek na Suid-Afrika se interneringsbeleid met betrekking tot Duitsers, die implementering daarvan, asook die ervarings van Duitse mans wie in die interneringskampe aangehou is. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is dus om 'n gedetailleerde ontleding van die vorming en implementering van die interneringsbeleid te onderneem, insluitend hoe dit Duitse vroue, anti-Nazi’s en Joodse vlugtelinge geraak het. Die navorsing ondersoek verder hoe geïnterneerdes leierskapstrukture gevestig, hulself polities georganiseer, en strategieë aangeleer het om die tyd te verwyl, en ondersoek uiteindelik die kwessie van oorlogstydse repatriasie van Duitse burgerlikes deur middel van uitruilingsskemas. Hierdie navorsing het voorheen onverkende argiefbronne en privaat artikels nagegaan. Die gevolgtrekking van hierdie navorsing is, eerstens, dat Suid-Afrika die bepalings ooreenkomstig aan die Geneefse Konvensie van 1929 aangeneem en op alle burgerlike geïnterneerdes, insluitend koopvaarders, toegepas het. Verder dat internering beperk was tot Duitse mans. Tweedens, geïnterneerde gemeenskappe in die hoofkampe van Baviaanspoort en Andalusië het hul eie identiteite ontwikkel, en het gevolglik verskillende innerlike worstelings vir leierskap en politieke beheer beleef. Derdens, sodra geïnterneerdes besef het dat ‘n vroeë vrylating onwaarskynlik was, het meeste hulleself met verskeie aktiwiteite besig gehou om die tyd te verwyl aangesien hul bewus was van die negatiewe sielkundige gevolge van langtermynaanhouding bekend as Stacheldraadkrankheit of doringdraadsiekte. Uiteindelik, deur Duitse burgerlikes beskikbaar te stel vir uitruiling deur middel van repatriasie na oorlogstyd Duitsland, veral met die Drottningholm-repatriasie van Junie 1944, is die tweeledige doel om die vrylating van burgers van die Statebond, wie deur Duitsland gevange gehou was, te verseker en ‘n beleid om soveel Duitsers as moontlik te repatrieer of te deporteer, te bevorder. Ten slotte kan Suid-Afrika se interneringsbeleid beskou word as 'n suksesvolle maatreël om die Tuisfront te beskerm, maar terselfdertyd is daar min twyfel dat sommige internerings, uitsluitlik op grond van Duitse nasionaliteit, onnodig en ongeregverdig was.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentvii, 459 pages : illustrationsen_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130610
dc.language.isoen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshPrisoners of war -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshPrisoners of war -- Germanyen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshWorld War, 1939-1945 -- Prisoners and prisons -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshWorld War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration camps -- South Africa -- Andalusiaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshGermans -- South Africa -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945.en_ZA
dc.subject.lcshAndalusia (Prisoner of war camp)en_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleGermans in South Africa during and in the aftermath of World War Two : the dynamics and contradictions of internment, 1939–1948 en_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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