Military history journal vol no 1 june 2004 robben island s role in coastal defence, 1931 1960. The prisoner in the winter of 1964, nelson mandela arrived on robben island where he would spend 18 of his 27 prison years. The guides showing visitors around are former prisoners. These threats include the lack of a top manager for the. Other operators advertise robben island tours but just take visitors on a boat trip around the island. Mandelas robben island university brand south africa.
Search the history of over 431 billion web pages on the internet. To promote robben island as a platform for critical debate and lifelong learning. This book reconstructs the inmates resistance strategies to show how these men created a political and social order behind bars includes bibliographical references pages 3327 and index print version record. It is of particular note that it was here that nobel laureate and former president of. Its name is the dutch word for seals, once plentiful in the surrounding waters. From lepers, the mentally ill and common criminals to political prisoners and freedom fighters, the island was a dumping ground for people both living on the margins of society and for those seeking. Robben island, nelson mandela gateway, mayibuye archives, jetty 1 and quay 500.
The known historical record of robben island can be described broadly, as in the world heritage application, in the following terms. The graduates of robben island world news the guardian. Issue 84 december 20 sources the small island of robben island northeast of cape town in south africa has been frequently mentioned in recent news reports in connection with the death of nelson mandela. To conserve and manage robben islands diverse natural and cultural resources in an integrated manner. Robben island is known for being the place former south african president nelson mandela was jailed for 18 of his 27 years, but the island was the home of. Their presence truly makes robben island history come to life. Robben island is a complex, sensitive ecosystem and as such is protected by south african law as a nature conservation area. The first european to see the cape was bartolomeu dias in 1448. The history of the island as a prison camp started well before apartheid. Robben island is both a south african national heritage site as well as a unesco world heritage site.
This file is licensed under the creative commons attribution 2. This island of seals is now a world heritage site and museum. Robben island best known as the place where nelson mandela was imprisoned for eighteen years has been a place of harshness and brutality. Robben island ebook by charlene smith rakuten kobo. As early as the 16th century, the dutch colonialists used robben island as a detention centre. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century. Little, brown and company 1994 reprinted with permission of the publisher. Robben island article about robben island by the free. May 22, 2012 recorded april 26, 2012 robben island is an island in table bay off the coast of cape town, south africa. The prisoner robben island the dark years the long. But authorities at robben island maliciously censored many letters beyond recognition, or arbitrarily withheld mail and photographs. Please be aware that the text in the supplied thesis pdf file may not be as clear as text in a. The busload of tourists on robben island grew quiet as yasien mohamed, our 63yearold guide, gestured to a bleak limestone quarry on the side of the road. By marinda weideman this article is based on the authors ma research report, robben island s coastal defence, 1931 1960, completed at the university of the witwatersrand, department of political studies, in 1998.
Robben island 1939 1945 edited and published by the naval heritage trust, simons town 20, paperback, illustrated, 344 pages. One day i will be back at home the late south african leader would have turned 100 on wednesday. It was a highsecurity prison where nelson mandela was held captive for 18 years. Excerpt from the report of the 23 rd session of the world heritage committee the committee inscribed this property on the world heritage list on the basis of criteria iii. I resist holding back the truth that he was, among other things, an armed freedom fighter, rather than a pacifist.
By marinda weideman this article is based on the authors ma research report, robben islands coastal defence, 1931 1960, completed at the university of the witwatersrand, department of political studies, in 1998. Mar 17, 2015 robben island is known for being the place former south african president nelson mandela was jailed for 18 of his 27 years, but the island was the home of prisoners from outside south africa. He and the other political prisoners were forced to work at the limestone quarries on the island. What emerges is that robben island s history and the memories and meanings associated with it extend far beyond the current emphasis on postapartheid south africa celebrating its new democracy and a triumph over a dark past.
Robben island has a long and comprehensive history. Although it is just a few kilometres long and a barely swimmable distance from cape town, it may well be the most significant historical site in south africa today. Robben island history for around 500 years robben island was the place where cape towns authorities housed its unloved, unwanted and undesirables. Robben island has been used as prison and a place where people. Battle of the books robben island the heritage portal. Political prisoners south africa robben island political activity. A reflection of the heritage and memories of yesteryear. From the dock, a bus will take you around part of the island and then come to the prison buildings, including viewing of the cell that housed nelson mandela for.
However, he was able to earn a bachelor of law degree through a university of london correspondence program while incarcerated. An exploration of south african diversity dynamics authors. Robben island is facing several serious threats to its integrity as a proclaimed world heritage site and a worldfamous tourism destination. To manage the robben island museum in a manner that promotes economic sustainability and development. The purpose is to illustrate how robben island s use as. Robben island is a lowlying outcrop of rock and sand guarding the entrance to south africas table bay. This article originally published on november 15, 2010. The researchers were part of the founding team of the robben island diversity experience ride. Robben island simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Excerpt from the report of the 23 rd session of the world heritage committee the committee inscribed this property on the world heritage list on the. Robben island the dark years book excerpt from chapter 61 of mandelas autobiography long walk to freedom c. Robben island has a long history as a site where outcasts and rebel oppo.
Unesco declared robben island in the western cape a world heritage site in 1999. Nelson mandela biography wayne county school district. The powerful backdrop of robben island, an international symbol of in the words of the robben island museum the indestructibility of the human spirit of resistance against colonialism, injustice and oppression, inspired discussions of how history can effect social change. Robben island, an unassuming island off the coast of south africa, is currently designated a south african national heritage site and a unesco world heritage site. This is a home page designed to offer all internet users information about robben island and apartheid. Important information to note for visitors to robben island museum year rim was established 1997 ticket price adult r340 child r190 rescheduling fee r60 booking means box office at nmg webtickets online platform refund policy tickets are refunded rescheduled in the following situations. A sermon by reverend lynn strauss as i contemplate the life and legacy of nelson mandela, i resist calling him a hero. The venue was chosen as an attractive marketing plan, but also because the hosting page 1 of 8. The prisoner the long walk of nelson mandela frontline.
Vol no 1 june 2004 south african military history. In addition to this it is designated a world heritage site and has to balance additional stringent conservation requirements in line with rims mission of ensuring public access to the islands heritage. Confined to a small cell, the floor his bed, a bucket for a toilet, he. Robben island a brief history south africa travel news. Robben island museum is a testament of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.
Introduction about robben island history the 1600s white men first arrived the 1800s the time of makana. Paradoxically it symbolises both the repressiveness of the apartheid state and. Robben island, island in table bay, western cape province, south africa. Robben island is an island near cape town in south africa. Robben island is located in table bay, some 6km west of bloubergstrand, and stands some 30m above sea level. Using a historical case methodology yin, 2003, we first. Robben island and prisoner resistance to apartheid. Robben island hintergrund inhalt teens in south africa. What emerges is that robben islands history and the memories and meanings associated with it extend far beyond the current emphasis on postapartheid. Pdf nelson mandela and other political prisoners from south africa were. Nelson mandelas letters detail his 27 years as the world.
By liz mcgregor rowse through the mayibuye robben island archives long enough and you will come across. One of cape towns most famous landmarks is robben island. The island is a unesco world heritage site and has served as a whaling station, a leper colony and most notably as a prison, where south africas nelson mandela spent 18 years of his 27 years of incarceration before being elected as the countrys first democratic president. They were not allowed to talk or do anything but work. From 1962 until 1982 mandela was held prisoner on this island. A history of the medical institutions on robben island. The nelson mandela who emerges from long walk to freedom.
Robben island is a place of scenic beauty rich memory and a fascinating history. Robben island gallery unesco world heritage centre. Robben island museum was declared a world heritage site in december 1999. Yet it has also become a universal symbol of hope, forgiveness, and triumph. It takes its name from the dutch word for seals robben, hence the dutchafrikaans name robbeneiland which translates to seals island. Robben island museum established in 1997 is a declared cultural institution reporting to the south african minister of arts and culture.
You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that. It is developed by freedom with acknowledgements to various information sources. An engrossing tapestry of recent south african history that grips the reader from the. Department of arts and culture national government. Smith mentally ill patient political imprisonment landscape. Jul 10, 20 spearheaded by nelson mandela, the institution became known as the robben island university and allowed prisoners to lecture on their respective areas of expertise and debate wideranging topics including homosexuality and marxism, author anthony sampson wrote in mandela. Robben island dec 2015 pdf show as slideshow comments are closed. Robben island south africa history and gripping facts. Jul 17, 2018 their presence truly makes robben island history come to life. As a black political prisoner, he received the lowest level of treatment.
As a result of the reconciliation process, most tour guides are former political prisoners. Its where the late former president nelson mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. David philip and mayibuye books, 1996, and harriet deacon, a history of the medical institutions on robben island ph. Prisoners used sport to forge relationships between political rivals when nelson mandela united black and white during the 1995 rugby world cup he was implementing lessons learnt on robben island. It is 5 miles 8 km west of the mainland and 6 miles 10 km north of cape town and has an approximate area of 5 square miles square km. Guide to the history and importance of robben island. Robben island has a chequered history of maritime contacts, confinement and. A history of the medical institutions on robben island, cape colony, 18461910 doctoral. Mandela learnt more about human behaviour in robben island. Last week, to mark the sixth anniversary of his release, president mandela went back again to the notorious robben island off cape town where he spent most of his 27 years in prison. Robben island is a small landmass located just seven kilometres four miles off the coast of cape town, in table bay.
A visit to robben island, the brutal prison that held mandela. Moravians on robben island moravian archives, bethlehem, pa. Robben island lies approximately 12 kilometers from cape town and for the past 400 years this island has had anything but a peaceful history the island has become synonymous with heartache, despair and a place where people were dumped for various reasons, most of those reasons horrify us today and we often cannot image what it must have been like, what the conditions were for the poor souls. Robben island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Vol no 1 june 2004 south african military history society. Jun 01, 2017 robben island, an unassuming island off the coast of south africa, is currently designated a south african national heritage site and a unesco world heritage site. Robben island prison in south africa held thousands of black political prisoners, including nelson mandela, who opposed apartheid.
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