Werner Willi Max Eiselen

Werner Willi Max Eiselen (* 1899 in Middelburg , Transvaal ; † June 12, 1977 in Tzaneen ) was a South African anthropologist , State Secretary for Native Affairs and the namesake of the so-called Eiselen Commission , a scientific advisory body of the first apartheid government .

Life

Eiselen grew up in a missionary family of German origin from the Berlin Mission Society . He received his first academic degree in 1919 with a bachelor's degree from the University of South Africa . This was followed by a master’s degree in 1920 at the University of Stellenbosch and a doctorate in Hamburg in 1924. In his early university career, Eiselen worked as a lecturer for Bantu languages and anthropology at Stellenbosch University from 1926. Since 1933 he has held a professorship for social anthropology here. During this time Eiselen came together with Hendrik Verwoerd , a member of the Afrikaner Broederbond , who also taught at this university as a professor of sociology . Both are now considered to be the system architects of the “Bantu education policy” for the later apartheid state.

Between 1936 and 1947 Eiselen accompanied the office of Chief Inspector of Native Education ( Chief inspector of black education ). In 1949, as part of the new government policy from Daniel François Malan, he took over the post of State Secretary for Native Affairs under Minister Hendrik Verwoerd. This task seemed to recommend him in the same year for the chairmanship of the so-called Eiselen Commission . The group under his leadership made recommendations for reforming the indigenous education system , the racist intentions of which eventually flowed into the legislative process and served as the basis of the Bantu Education Act .

In addition to his public offices, Eiselen was active in other institutions. These include the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures and the South African Institute of Race Relations .

Web links

National Research Council (US), Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research: International directory of anthropologists . Washington DC 1938 (short biography )
Hermann Giliomee : A Note on Bantu Education, 1953 to 1970 . In: South African Journal of Economics, Vol. 77 (2009), Issue 1, pp. 190–198 (English)
Flora Snitcher: The Eiselen scheme . In: Africa South. Vol. 1 (1957), No. 3 (April-June), pp 40-45, on www.disa.ukzn.ac.za Chapter Overview [1]

Individual evidence

personal data
SURNAME	Eiselen, Werner Willi Max
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	South African social anthropologist
DATE OF BIRTH	1899
PLACE OF BIRTH	Middelburg , Transvaal, South Africa
DATE OF DEATH	June 12, 1977
Place of death	Tzaneen

[1] Albrecht Hagemann: Bonn and apartheid in South Africa . In: Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte, Institut für Zeitgeschichte, Munich, Berlin, vol. 43 (1995) issue 4, p. 704 (PDF; 1.4 MB)

[2] Frederick Hale: The impact of apartheid on the educational endeavors of two missionary agencies . In: Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae, October 2010, Vol. 36 (2), pp. 167-185 (English)

[3] Commission on Native Education is appointed. on www.sahistory.org.za (English)

[4] BANTU EDUCATION ACT - Results of the Eiselen Commission. on www.sahistory.org.za (English)