Parys (South Africa)
| Parys | |||
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| Coordinates | 26 ° 54 '14 " S , 27 ° 27' 0" E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | South Africa | ||
| free State | |||
| District | Fezile Dabi | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | ZA-FS | ||
| local community | Ngwathe | ||
| height | 1387 m | ||
| surface | 23.3 km² | ||
| Residents | 8071 (2011) | ||
| density | 346.4 Ew. / km² | ||
| founding | 1882 | ||
| Website | www.parys.co.za (English) | ||
Dutch Reformed Moederkerk, Hefer Street
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Parys [ parɛĭs ] is a city in the South African province of Free State (Free State). It is the administrative center of Ngwathe Township in Fezile Dabi District .
geography
In 2011 Parys had 8,071 inhabitants, the neighboring townships Tumahole and Schonkenville had 37,675 and 2,423 inhabitants, respectively. Parys is located on the south-east bank of the Vaal , which here forms the border with the north-west province . The Vaal forms numerous forested river islands in this area , including Grooteiland, Woody Island and Gulf Island.
history
The place was founded in 1882 on the site of the Klipspruit farm . A Dutch Reformed Church was built. The place got its name after the city of Paris . The name comes from the German surveyor Schilbach, who was reminded of the Seine in Paris when he looked at the Vaal . The place gained importance as a transit station for travelers to the Witwatersrand in 1886 after gold was found there. During the Second Boer War , the area around Parys was fought over. Some forts can still be seen on the surrounding hills and river islands to this day. In 1905 Parys was connected to the rail network via a branch line . In 1915 a concrete bridge was built over the Vaal, which contributed to the further growth of the city. In 1918 a suspension bridge was built that connected Gulf Island to the city. In the 1930s, a new Art Deco style town hall was built after the previous building burned down.
Economy and Transport
Numerous industrial companies were located in Parys, including a textile factory owned by the German entrepreneur Hans Thierfelder . Few of the establishments still exist today. In contrast, tourism plays an important role. Parys is located in the Vredefort crater , which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The Parys Dome Adventure Festival, also called Domefest, takes place at the beginning of November .
Parys is located on the R59 between Vredefort in the southwest and Sasolburg in the northeast. The R53 runs from Parys northwest towards Potchefstroom . The R500 connects the city with Carletonville in the north , the R723 leads to Heilbron . The N1 trunk road passes around 15 kilometers to the east . A rail line used for freight transport connects Parys with Dover on the main Johannesburg - Bloemfontein and Vredefort line. The Parys Airport located on the other bank of the Vaal and has the ICAO code FAPY.
Personalities
- Frik du Preez (* 1935), South African rugby player, attended school in Parys
- Gary Anderson (* 1959), South African football player, born in Parys
- Tokelo Rantie (* 1990), South African soccer player, born in Parys
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Portrait at sa-venues.com (English)
- Parys Museum
Individual evidence
- ^ Parys , accessed July 7, 2017
- ↑ Tumahole , Schonkenville , accessed July 7, 2017
- ↑ Portrait at sa-venues.com (English), accessed on January 12, 2014
- ↑ Parys Domefest ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) 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. (Afrikaans / English), accessed on January 12, 2014
