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Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe

On-line version ISSN 2224-7912
Print version ISSN 0041-4751

Abstract

VAN ZYL, Annemarie  and  ROSSOUW, Jannie. The Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument in Paarl: 40 years later. Tydskr. geesteswet. [online]. 2016, vol.56, n.2-1, pp.295-313. ISSN 2224-7912.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2224-7912/2016/v56n2-1a2.

This paper reports on the background and history of the Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument in Paarl and examines the relevance of the entity in the South Africa of today. The Afrikaanse Taalmonument (Afrikaans Language Monument), erected on the foothills of Paarl Mountain, is a well-known tourist destination attracting a considerable number of visitors each year. Although the Monument has a high profile, it is not generally known that there is also a museum for the Afrikaans Language in Paarl, situated in the centre of town. The Museum was inaugurated on 14 August 1975, commemorating the founding of the Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaners (GRA, or Society for Real Afrikaners), which took place in the same building a century earlier. The Monument and Museum form part of the same entity, the Afrikaanse Taalmuseum en -monument (ATM). The first initiative for the erection of a language monument in Paarl dates back to 14 August 1942, at a commemoration of the historical founding of the GRA. At a subsequent public meeting in the Paarl Town Hall in September 1942 an Afrikaans monument committee (ATMK, or Die Afrikaanse Taalmonumentkomitee - Afrikaans Language Monument Committee) was established with the aim of taking forward the initiative. It took more than three decades for the vision ofthat initial group to be realised. Fund-raising and awareness drives were held nationally, and various issues such as the location of the monument and the form it should take were hotly debated. Eventually, in 1964, twelve architects were invited to take part in a competition to design the monument. The competition was won by architect Jan van Wijk. Van Wijk's design was a purely symbolic, non-functional structure with strong architectural lines, richly imbued with meaning. He had used the writings of two well-known Afrikaans authors to inspire his design.1 Among the aspects debated before, during and after the erection of the Monument, the most important were issues of location, aesthetics, function, symbolism and ideology. The very fact of building a tangible structure such as a monument for intangible heritage, namely language, was questioned in terms of the necessity, practicality and advisability of such an undertaking. These concerns were addressed and answered by the then Prime Minister, adv. BJ Vorster, in his inaugural speech of the Monument. According to him (own translation and abridgement): If your mother were just a woman, and your flag just a piece of cloth, your national anthem just a poem, and your language just a means of communication; then for you this monument will be a lifeless structure of concrete and granite. Afrikaans had to prove itself against overwhelming odds, and has done so admirably, and that is the reason why a monument has been erected in its honour. Regarding location, the general opinion initially was that the monument should be located in the centre of town, where a core of buildings intimately linked to the history and development of Afrikaans are to be found. The lobby for greater visibility and therefore greater public consciousness won the day and the Monument was erected on the mountainside where it can be seen from all directions from a distance of up to 50 kilometres. The location still draws comments from visitors today; mostly favourable. The panoramic views are one of the great drawcards of the site. As for aesthetic appeal, the visitor comments reflect a spectrum of opinions, from the very favourable to descriptions such as "bizarre and definitely ugly". This proves the validity of the saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". That it is undoubtedly a striking structure, is upheld by the fact that the Monument has been included in a book on the 500 most iconic architectural structures in the world (Cattermole 2008:383), the only South African building to receive that honour. At the time of erection, many of the comments reflecting unfavourably on the appearance were in fact aired by protestors against the perceived ideology the Monument portrayed, rendering the criticism worthless in terms of aesthetic considerations. References to the so-called phallic appearance abounded, and are still occasionally heard today; a clear attempt at discrediting and reduction to an object of ridicule without any objective basis. Regarding functionality, the initial idea was to erect a functional building where the language could be practically promoted and showcased, amongst others by offering language training and creating a reference library of rare Africana books and documents. By the time the invitation went out to the architects, the idea had radically evolved into the concept of a symbolic, non-functional structure, albeit situated in afunctional landscape conducive to family recreation. With the acquisition of the Museum, however, part of the initial vision of the Committee was realised, and today the Museum boasts research facilities such as a dedicated reading room, an extensive Africana collection and the services of a qualified researcher. Various courses geared towards the promotion of language in the wider sense of the word are also offered by the ATM, among others courses in Mandarin presented by a lecturer from the University of Stellenbosch. Although the general symbolism embodied in the Monument, and especially the way in which Van Wijk expressed it architecturally, was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the Committee, the inclusion of the influence of indigenous languages on the development of Afrikaans engendered strong opposition from a small faction led by the previous chairman of the Committee. Theyfelt that such references were "historically incorrect". The disagreement led to bitter arguments, intensive lobbying, petitions, and eventually a total schism. Sanity, however, prevailed and the symbolism as initially visualised by Van Wijk was accepted unchanged. In keeping with current ideas about symbolism and meaning-making, and the offering of an official interpretation or not, the architect envisaged a monument imbued with very rich symbolism, which spoke for itself, as it were, and leaves onlookers to find specific meaning according to the viewpoints held by each individual. Afrikaans and its relationship to the other languages of South Africa is a so-called site of contestation, which by implication makes the Monument one as well (Simos 2012:1; Smith 2013:135). The Monument was erected in the heyday of the Apartheid government, and many critics maintained that the government of the day had openly "hijacked" the Monument as a powerful symbol of Afrikaner Nationalism. This was brought about in part by the project having been heavily sponsored by the state. Another factor which led to bitter politically inspired clashes was that, initially, few Coloured people were intended to take part in or be invited to the inauguration. This was despite extensive use of Afrikaans in the Coloured community, and sent the message of White exclusivity and elitism. A storm brewed in the media, which eventually led to the inclusion in the program and invitation to the event of a significant number of people from other races. However, for many anti-apartheid activists it was a case of too little, too late, and they still refused to attend the proceedings. Political viewpoints were, and still are, the leading cause of criticism levelled at the Monument. Although the country today is a transformed, multiracial, multicultural society, many South Africans are still deeply suspicious, and view the efforts of the ATM to transform their events, exhibitions and educational programs to attract people from across the entire spectrum of the population, as mere window-dressing. It remains an uphill battle for the entity to reposition itself as a cultural rather than political icon in the eyes of the world, but great inroads to this effect have been made in the past number of years.

Keywords : Afrikaans; Afrikaans Language Museum and Monument; criticism of the Afrikaans Language Monument; Paarl; language monuments; language museum.

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