Botes, Sussana Marianna
English: Francis William Reitz served as the fifth State President of the Boer republic of the Orange Free State from January 1889 to December 1895. This study discusses both the material and nonmaterial culture of Bloemfontein and the way of life of the inhabitants, during President Reitz’s time in office. During the Reitz period the town of Bloemfontein developed rapidly and the community underwent far-reaching changes. The arrival of the first railway in Bloemfontein in 1890 was the main incentive for the town’s rapid development and created new markets, resulting in greater prosperity and an increase in population. This in turn resulted in a growth in housing, the development of infrastructure and improvements in many areas. By the end of the Reitz period the Free State capital was a prosperous town with a relatively wide range of businesses, impressive public buildings, stately houses, several good schools, a wide range of religious denominations and a model black township. The advent of the railway marked the end of the town’s previous isolation, and contact with other towns and people was expanded. The white population was of cosmopolitan origin but the Dutch-speaking Afrikaners, English-speaking inhabitants, Germans and Jews, all played a leading role in the community. In general persons of different nationalities were on good terms with each other and white people of different nationalities were welcomed heartily to the Bloemfontein community of those days. The relationship between white and black inhabitants was that of master and servant and blacks were subjected to many regulations and restrictions. Therefore the social conditions of the brown and black people were inclined to be poor. Bloemfontein only had a very small Indian community, and in 1890 the Indians were prohibited from farming or conducting businesses in the Orange Free State, with the result that most of the Indian traders soon left Bloemfontein. New Indian settlement was largely discouraged. Dutch was the official language of the Boer republic, but English was so widely spoken in Bloemfontein that the Free State capital had a predominantly English character. By this time Dutch was already gradually developing into Afrikaans. In the 1890s Bloemfontein, with its dry healthy climate, was widely known as a health resort, especially for people with lung diseases and consumption. Patients from all over the world came to the Free State capital in search of better health. But despite the healthy climate, poor sanitary conditions and polluted water sometimes led to epidemics, such as diphtheria, typhoid fever and smallpox, and an increase in the death rate. Drought, locust plagues and the division of former large farms into smaller units, gave rise to an increased influx of poor-white people (especially Afrikaners) to the capital, in search of jobs. The social life of the more prosperous part of the white population was informal and lively and there was no shortage of recreation and entertainment. After the coming of the railway many overseas entertainers performed in Bloemfontein. The capital also had its own talented singers and musicians, and a variety of cultural societies and organizations enriched the lives of the inhabitants further. The strong Late Victorian influence was reflected in the clothing, interior decoration, furniture, food, garden layout and social traditions of Bloemfontein’s inhabitants. The church and religion influenced almost every aspect of the people’s lives, as they regarded religion to be of prime importance. Both the government and church were involved with education and in 1895 the Orange Free State became the first South African country to implement a system of compulsory education for white children. The Anglican Church played a vital role in the education of brown and black people.
Afrikaans: Francis William Reitz was vanaf Januarie 1889 tot Desember 1895 die vyfde staatspresident van die Boererepubliek Oranje-Vrystaat. Hierdie studie bespreek Bloemfontein as stoflike kultuurmilieu en geestelike kultuurtuiste, sowel as die leefwyse van die inwoners, gedurende die bewind van pres. Reitz. Tydens die Reitz-tydperk het Bloemfontein vinnig ontwikkel en die gemeenskap het ’n aantal vêrreikende veranderinge beleef. Die aanlê in 1890 van die eerste spoorlyn tot by Bloemfontein het nuwe markte geskep wat tot ’n toename in welvaart en bevolkingsgroei gelei en ’n tyd van vinnige ontwikkeling vir die Vrystaatse hoofstad meegebring het. So is meer huise gebou en die infrastruktuur ontwikkel, terwyl daar verbeterings op talle gebiede was. Teen die einde van die Reitz-tydperk was Bloemfontein ’n vooruitstrewende dorp met ’n wye verskeidenheid besighede, indrukwekkende openbare geboue, deftige huise, goeie skole, verskeie kerklike denominasies en ’n model swart woonbuurt of lokasie. Die koms van die spoorlyn het Bloemfontein se vroeëre isolasie verbreek en kontak met ander dorpe en stede het toegeneem. Die blanke bevolking van die Vrystaatse hoofstad was kosmopolitaans en Nederlandssprekende Afrikaners, Engelssprekendes, Duitsers en Jode het ’n leidende rol in die gemeenskap gespeel. Oor die algemeen het inwoners van verskillende kultuurgroepe goeie verhoudinge gehandhaaf en blanke persone van alle kultuurgroepe is gewoonlik hartlik in die Bloemfonteinse gemeenskap verwelkom. Die verhouding tussen wit en swart inwoners was dié van baas teenoor kneg en swart en bruin mense was aan heelwat regulasies en beperkings onderworpe. Derhalwe was die lewensomstandighede van bruin en swart inwoners swakker as dié van die blankes. Hoewel Bloemfontein min Indiër-inwoners gehad het, is Asiate in 1890 verbied om in die Oranje-Vrystaat te boer of besighede te bedryf, met die gevolg dat die meeste Indiër-handelaars die Vrystaatse hoofstad in die 1890’s verlaat het, terwyl die vestiging van nuwe Asiërs ten sterkste ontmoedig is. Ofskoon Nederlands die amptelike taal van die republiek was, is daar hoofsaaklik Engels in Bloemfontein gepraat sodat die Vrystaatse hoofstad in die 1890’s ’n sterk Engelse karakter gehad het. Teen hierdie tyd was Nederlands reeds besig om geleidelik in Afrikaans te ontwikkel. In die 1890’s was Bloemfontein met sy gesonde, droë klimaat wêreldwyd bekend as gesondheidsoord, veral vir persone met longkwale. Van oor die hele wêreld het pasiënte na Bloemfontein gekom op soek na beter gesondheid. Ten spyte van die gesonde klimaat het swak sanitêre toestande en besoedelde water soms tot epidemies soos witseerkeel, maagkoors en pokke gelei wat ’n toename in die sterftesyfer tot gevolg gehad het. Droogtes, sprinkaanplae en die onderverdeling van eens groot plase het aanleiding gegee tot die toestroming van armblankes (veral Afrikaners) na die Vrystaatse hoofstad, op soek na werk. Die sosiale lewe van die meer welgestelde deel van die blanke bevolking was informeel en bedrywig en daar was nie ’n tekort aan ontspanning en vermaak nie. Na die koms van die spoorlyn	het	vele	buitelandse	vermaakkunstenaars,	sangers	en toneelgeselskappe in Bloemfontein opgetree, terwyl die hoofstad ook oor sy eie talentvolle sangers en musici beskik het. ’n Verskeidenheid kultuurverenigings en organisasies het die inwoners se lewe verder verryk.	Die	sterk Laat-Victoriaanse	invloed was	veral merkbaar in	die kleredrag, interieurinrigting, meubels, voedsel, tuinuitleg en sosiale tradisies van Bloemfontein se inwoners. Die kerk en godsdiens het feitlik op elke terrein van die inwoners se lewe ’n invloed gehad, aangesien godsdiens vir die inwoners van kardinale belang was. Beide die kerk en staat was by die onderwys betrokke en in 1895 het die Oranje-Vrystaat die eerste Suid-Afrikaanse staat geword wat ’n stelsel van verpligte onderwys vir blanke kinders ingestel het. Die Anglikaanse Kerk het ’n belangrike rol in die onderwys van bruin en swart mense gespeel.