Voortrekker Monument

The Voortrekker Monument is a monument in Pretoria in South Africa. It is a massive granite structure on a hilltop. It was built to commemorate the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854. It was designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk. Background Most of the Voortrekkers were not satisfied with the British government that ruled over them in the Cape. The British made English the official language, established racial equality (although it was limited), and in 1834, abolished slavery. That is why they packed their ox wagons and started the Great Trek to greener valleys to the north of current South Africa. Importance The Voortrekker Monument is an important structure to the Dutch (Afrikaner) bloodline (children), because it shows many pictures, reliefs and statutes inside the building of what happened in the history of those years. Heritage On 8 July 2011, the Voortrekker Monument was declared a National Heritage Site by the South African Heritage Resource Agency. References