A living monument for Afrikaans and mother-tongue tuition

-1883-

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A story spanning more than 125 years
 

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Die Gedenkschool Der Hugenoten (Memorial School of the Huguenots) was established on 1 February 1882. The Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners ("Association of Real Afrikaners"), headed by Rev. S J du Toit, created new appreciation for the role that mother-tongue tuition should play in education. To give expression to this ideal, the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the French Huguenots in 1688 was used to build a school as living monument to acknowledge the distinctive interests of a specific language, religious and cultural groups.

S J du Toit

Die Gedenkschool Der Hugenoten, which used to be a winery, opened its door on 14 March 1883on the farm De Kleine Bos, and was used by the farming community of Dal Josafat and Klein Drakenstein to enable their children to receive tuition in their mother tongue. This was the first school, based on its memorandum of association , where the Afrikaners language was used as medium of tuition. D F du Toit (Oom Lokomotief - "Uncle Locomotive") was their first teacher. This class of 1890 was attended by, among others, J D du Toit(Totius), A G Visser and D F Malherbe. During its last years, the school received no support from the state nad was forced to close its doors in November 1910 due to a lack of funds.

Die Gedenkskool in 1883

D F du Toit

The school building was converted into a winery which fell into disuse and later became a storeroom. Over the years it became dilapidated due to a lack of maintenance. It was about to be demolished when the Kaaplandse Helpmekaar Studiefonds ("Cape support study fund") donated money to register a perpetual servitude over the piece or the piece of land and the building.

During the 1980s, the late W A (Bill) De Klerk, thought about repairing the memorial school. With the assistance and cooperation of the Die Burger (an Afrikaans newspaper), various Afrikaans cultural organisations and the public, funds were raised to renovate the building. The building was inaugurate on 25 March 2002. The guest rooms on the ground floor are leased to the German owner of Augusta Kleinbosch, Mr. Ulrich Froese. The first floor has been appointed as a museum and a lecture room.
 

Voor restourasie 1995

Na restourasie 2008

The du Toit Cemetry was laid out by the Huguenot ancestor Francois du Toit, and some of the leaders in the du Toit family are buried here. Martha, the sister of th Voortrekker (scouts) leader Piet Retief, is also buried here.

                                                                                                             The Du Toit Family Cemetry