January 2, 2025 – Early Colonial

Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, just 6.9 kilometers west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for “seal island.” When the Dutch arrived in the area in 1652, the only large animals on the island were seals and birds which is probably the reason why it was named Robben Island. The island is actually the peak of a mountain which was once part of the mainland. The rest of the mountain just happens to be underwater these days.

The symbolic value of Robben Island lies in its rich and wretched history. Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for lepers and a military base. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century such as the maximum security prison for political prisoners, witness the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression and racism.

Brief History

The Dutch settlers were the first to use Robben Island as a prison. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch sent political prisoners which were political leaders from various Dutch colonies, including Indonesia, and the leader of the mutiny on the slave ship Meermin. Its first prisoner was probably Autshumato in the mid-17th century. But the most famous prisoner on the island is the South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, who spent 18 years of his 27 years in prison on Robben Island. South African presidents Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma also spent time on the island.

The island was also used as a leper colony and animal quarantine station. Starting in 1845, lepers from the Hemel-en-Aarde leper colony near Caledon were moved to Robben Island when Hemel-en-Aarde was found unsuitable as a leper colony. At first, lepers were moved to the colony on a voluntary basis, but after the Leprosy Repression Act in May 1882, they were forced to live on the island, with no option of return.

During the Second World War, the island was used as a military base, which is why you’ll find artillery batteries and fortifications. The island was fortified and BL 9.2-inch guns and 6-inch guns were installed as part of the defenses for Cape Town.

From 1961, Robben Island was used by the South African government as a prison for political prisoners and convicted criminals. When the Apartheid regime was rejected by the South African people, the political prisoners who had been incarcerated on the Island received their freedom after many years. The maximum security prison for political prisoners was closed in 1991 while the medium-security prison for criminal prisoners was closed five years later.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

In 1999, the island was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since then, the island has become a popular destination for global tourists for its rich and wretched history. It is managed by Robben Island Museum (RIM) which operates the site as a living museum.

Robben Island is accessible to visitors through tours that depart from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town. Tours depart three times a day and take about 3.5 hours. The tour consists of various historical sites on the island including the island graveyard, the disused lime quarry, Robert Sobukwe’s house, the Bluestone quarry, the army and navy bunkers, and the maximum security prison. This Robben Island tour usually ends with a visit to Nelson Mandela’s cell. The tour guides on the island were once political prisoners so you might get to hear about their personal experiences on the island.

Animals on the Island

Much has been done to restore the Island’s ecological haven to what it used to be centuries ago. In 1991 Robben Island was included in the SA natural heritage program and the northern part of the island was declared a bird sanctuary. Roughly 132 species of bird have made the island their home. In fact, the Island is one of South Africa’s most important breeding localities for seabirds and is currently home to 8 500 breeding pairs of African Penguins. Cape fur seals, southern right whales, mole snakes, buck, ostrich, and rabbits are also to be found on the island.

The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa. It was built in the 1600s. It is shaped in a pentagon with five bastions and flaunts both elements of Medieval and English Renaissance architecture. Before the land reclamation forced the building inland, it was originally a marker of the Table Bay shoreline. This fortress was once the center of civilian, administrative and military life in the Cape. The Castle of Good Hope arguably represents one of the best preserved 17th century DEIC architecture on the entire globe. The Castle formed part of a formidable defensive system at the Cape that discouraged attacks. It has never been attacked. It is hoped to become South Africa’s next UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The History

In 1664, tensions between Britain and the Netherlands renewed rumors of war. With the fear of a British attack on the Cape, a five-pointed stone Castle similar to other such fortifications in Europe and the East was built. It was planned around a central point with five bulwarks known as bastions.

The site of the Castle was chosen in 1665 by the Commissioner Isbrand Goske who later became the first Governor of the Cape. Pieter Dombaer, as the engineer, was responsible for the construction of the Castle which was built by slaves, burghers, Khoikhoi and company workers.

The foundations of the Castle of Good Hope were dug in 1665 and the cornerstones of the first bastion were laid on the 2nd January 1666, after which building started in all earnest.

The building of the castle was delayed when peace returned to Europe in 1667. The first bastion, Leerdam, was completed on the 5 November 1670. Followed by Buuren, Catzenellenbogen, Nassau, and Oranje. The five bastions were named after the main titles of William III of Orange-Nassau on 26 April 1679. The height of the walls of the bastions on the sea side was 10 meters, and those on the land side were even higher.

In 1679, the Castle was finally completed. It was called a Castle because of its defensive structure and because it comprised a small community or town on its own similar to those castles in Europe. Inside its walls, there were among others, a church, living quarters, bakery, offices, workshops, cells and other facilities.

This castle can be entered through the Main Gateway from the Grand Parade and City Hall side. Between 1682 and 1684, this entrance was built to replace the original entrance which was situated between the Buuren and Catzenellenbogen bastions. The pediment above the entrance bears the crowned lion rampant with the seven arrows of unity in its paw which was the coat-of-arms of the United Netherlands. There are also other two smaller entrances to the Castle. On the architrave below are carved the arms of the Dutch cities in which the United East India Company had chambers, namely, Hoorn, Delft, Amsterdam, Middelburg, Rotterdam, and Enkhuizen. On either side of the entrance are the statues of Mercury, the god of commerce and Neptune with the trident, the sea god.

A bell tower which was built in 1684, was also situated over the main entrance. It was used to announce the time, as well as warning citizens in case of danger. It was also rung to summon residents and soldiers when important announcements needed to be made. The original bell, which was considered the oldest in South Africa, was cast in Amsterdam in 1697 by the East-Frisian bell maker Claude Fremy. It weighs just over 300 kilograms.

There was also a part of the Castle which served as the office of the governor and arguably the first seat of political power in our country known as “De Kat”. From these chambers, the Council of Policy controlled all facets of early colonial life, including where they could live; what they could plant and produce; the prices of their products and many other aspects of their lives in order to ensure order in the settlement.

Historical Monument

In 1936, the Castle was declared a historical monument, the first site in South Africa to be so protected. Extensive restorations were completed during the 1980s making the Castle the best-preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort.

In 1982, a comprehensive restoration process was started to restore the Castle to its former glory. The process was completed early in 1993. Another exciting restoration and renovation are planned to proceed towards the end of 2014. The Castle represents, in its restored form, Dutch, English and French building styles. In certain parts, the flat roofs favored by the Dutch were rebuilt during restoration. In other sections, the pitched roofs and stone work of the British era can be seen. The original slate roof tiles were replaced with replicas.

Castle of Good Hope Today

Today the Castle houses the Castle Military Museum, the William Fehr Collection, and the ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regiments. The Castle is also the home of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment, a mechanized infantry unit. These valuable collections have special relevance to the Castle and were bought, on public demand, to be on permanent exhibition in the Castle. Through events, festivals, celebrations, commemorations, concerts, workshops, and exhibitions the Castle of Good Hope is positioning itself for survival over the next 350 years.

Day: January 2, 2025

The Wretched History of Robben Island