Ou Raadsaal

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Ou Raadsaal in Pretoria

The Ou Raadsaal ( German : Alter Ratssaal) was the parliament building of the South African Republic . It is located on the south side of the Kerkplein / Church Square in Pretoria , the capital of South Africa .

architecture

The building in neo-renaissance style was designed by Sytze Wopke Wierda. The statue on the tower is said to represent Athena , the Greek goddess of wisdom, industry and agriculture. During the 1962 restoration, the British coat of arms above the entrance was exchanged for a replica of the coat of arms of the South African Republic. Among them is the motto "EENDRAGT MAAKT MAGT" (German: Unity makes you strong ) in Dutch . At the beginning of the 1990s the house was renovated again.

Plenary hall

The plenary hall is located in the middle of the building. The whole hall has been returned to its original state. The parliamentarians' walnut chairs are upholstered in green Moroccan leather and were placed in their original horseshoe shape after being placed along the walls after the British occupation. Behind the chair of the President of Parliament is a carved coat of arms of the South African Republic.

history

On May 6, 1889, President Paul Kruger laid the foundation stone for the parliament building. The Volksraad met in the building from May 1890 . During the Second Boer War , the British used it after taking Pretoria on June 5, 1900. After the founding of the Republic of South Africa, it housed the Provincial Council of the Transvaal from 1962 . Today it is used by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality .

The Transvaal Museum was founded on the upper floor of the house in 1892 . However, due to lack of space, the museum moved to a different location.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ President Paul Kruger lays the foundation stone of the Raadsaal on Pretoria's Church Square, now a national monument , South African History Online. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012 Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved August 31, 2011. (English) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sahistory.org.za 
  2. ^ Healing Activities Center , Ingrid Niebuhr, University of Pretoria. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2011.  (English)

Web links

Coordinates: 25 ° 44 ′ 50 ″  S , 28 ° 11 ′ 16 ″  E