Contree: 1977 No 1 NWU-IR Home
No. 1, January 1977
Schoemansdal: van Voortrekkervoorpos tot volksfeesterrein. / Ferreira, OJO
Historical geography and local history. / Christopher, AJ
Carnarvon: 'n oorsig van die geskiedenis van die dorp en distrik. / Marais, JJ
Some notes on regional history research. / Henning, CG
Bronneverkenning van die streek Oos-Vrystaatse grensgordel (1) / Eloff, CC
Doddington Court: 160 Victoria Embankment, Durban. / Ferreira, P
Die St. John-Anglikaanse kerk, Victoria-Wes. / Immelman, E
Voorlopige indeling van die RSA met die oog op streekhistoriese navorsing. / Oberholster, AG
The past as an object of study is so rich and so vast that time and again the historian feels constrained to divide it into compartments. The upshot is that a differentiated historical practice then prospers at the expense of the totality; specialised fields of study such as military, political, economic, social and cultural, which at most are distinguishable facets of history, branch off into separate historical disciplines, each with its own field of study and methodology.
Regional history does not do this; on the contrary it recognises the unity of history. Its approach is individual in that it reverses the traditional historical practice of reconstructing the past from 'above', with the actions of central authority, government and national figures as the focal point. Regional history studies the past from the local angle, is interested in the smaller community and the activities of ordinary people in their own environment. After all, true history is the story of change which occurs through the interaction of major determining events and the rhythm of the small, prosaic, almost unobtrusive course of daily life.
Soon after the Institute for Historical Research (IHR) carne into being in 1969, the need for regional historiography in South Africa was evident. Before the Section for Regional History was established on 1 April 1975 in the IHR to study this aspect, a local and overseas investigation was conducted into the organisation and method of regional historical research. It was apparent from this investigation that the fragmentary attempts by various people and organizations to write local and regional history should be co-ordinated.
The publication of CONTREE is an important development in co-ordinating and advancing regional historical research in the RSA, since it creates a channel whereby interested persons will be able to discuss matters of mutual interest and through which guidance can be given to those anxious to study in this field. At the same time CONTREE will serve as a medium for recording and publishing research results.
Dr. C.M. Bakkes
Die verlede as studie-objek is so ryk en omvattend dat die historikus telkens daartoe verlei word om die historiese gegewe te kompartementeer. In die praktyk gee dit daartoe aanleiding dat 'n gedifferensieerde geskiedsbeoefening ten koste van 'n integrale gedy en dat gespesialiseerde studierigtings, soos militêre, politieke, ekonomiese, sosiale en kultuurgeskiedenis, wat hoogstens onderskeibare fasette van die geskiedenis is, in afsonderlike historiese dissiplines aftak, elk met 'n eie studieveld en metodologie.
Die beoefening van streekgeskiedenis is nie 'n voortsetting van hierdie neiging nie; inteendeel, dit erken geskiedenis as eenheid en hou daarmee rekening. Dit het wel 'n eie benadering in die sin dat dit die tradisionele historiese proses, naamlik om die verlede van 'bo' af te rekonstrueer, met die handelinge van die sentrale owerheid, die staat en nasionale figure in die brandpunt, omdraai. Die streekgeskiedenis bestudeer die verlede vanuit die plaaslike hoek, is geïnteresseerd in die kleiner gemeenskap en die alledaagse mens en sy handelinge in sy eie omgewing. Die egte geskiedenis is op slot van sake die verhaal van die verandering wat plaasvind onder meer as gevolg van die wisselwerking tussen die groot bepalende gebeurtenisse en die ritme van die klein, prosaïese, ja byna onopsigtelike gang van elke dag se lewe.
Kort na die stigting van die Instituut vir Geskiedenisnavorsing (IGN) in 1969 is die behoefte aan gewestelike geskiedskrywing in Suid-Afrika geïdentifiseer. Die oprigting van die Afdeling Streekgeskiedenis op 1 April 1975 binne die IGN om aan hierdie saak aandag te gee, is voorafgegaan deur 'n ondersoek, plaaslik en oorsee, na organisatoriese en metodologiese aspekte van streekhistoriese navorsing. Uit die ondersoek het dit duidelik geword dat die versplinterde pogings deur verskeie persone en instansies om plaaslike en streekgeskiedenis te skrywe, gekoördineer moet word.
Die verskyning van CONTREE kan beskou word as 'n belangrike ontwikkeling ten opsigte van die koördinasie en bevordering van streekhistoriese navorsing in die RSA. Dit skep 'n kanaal waardeur belanghebbendes met mekaar in gesprek kan tree, voorligting met betrekking tot die beoefening van stedelike en streekgeskiedenis beskikbaar gestel kan word, en is ook 'n medium om navorsingsresultate op te vang en te publiseer.
AuthorChristopher, A J (1)Eloff, C C (1)Ferreira, O J O (1)Ferreira, Philna (1)Henning, C G (1)Immelman, Elbie (1)Marais, J J (1)Oberholster, A G (1)Van Heerden, Marié (1)Date Issued1977 (9)