The Voortrekker Monument (monument with the Voortrekker S) pays homage to the pioneers Boer S who left in 1835 - 1838 the Colonie the Cape to bring their culture and their civilization inside the grounds of South Africa. This great migration was called " Large Trek ". It is at the origin of the creation of the republics boers of the Transvaal and the free State of Orange.
Symbol of the Nationalism afrikaner, the monument is drawn up since 1949 on a hill at the entry of Pretoria, the South-African Capitale.
History
The idea to build a monument in the honor of Voortrekkers is allocated to the president of the Republic of South Africa of the Transvaal, Paul Kruger at the time of the 50ème birthday of the Bataille Blood River the December 16th 1888.
The idea remained in gestation until in 1931 when the " commission of the monuments of the people of the center" (Sentrale Volksmonumentekomitee - SVK) made its principal project of it.
Construction began the July 13rd 1937 on Monument Hill. The December 16th 1938, the stones of support of the four corners were deposited by three descendants of the voortrekkers chiefs: Mrs. J.C. Muller (little girl of Andries Pretorius), Mrs. K.F. Ackerman (back grand-daughter of Hendrik Potgieter) and Mrs. J.C. Preller (back grand-daughter of Piet Retief) in the presence of 250 thousand people celebrating this day in Pretoria the centenary of Large Trek.
The monument itself was inaugurated in front of more than 150 thousand people the December 16th 1949 in the presence of the complete South-African government.
A broad amphitheater of 20 thousand places was then built in the North-East of the monument.
Structure
The monument is high 41 m and the interior plank out of marble which recalls the epopee of Voortrekkers is 92 m long on 2,3 m height. It is the largest marble plank in the world. It weighs 180 tons.
It is the South-African Architecte Gerald Moerdijk which drew the plans of the monument. The principal statues are sculptors Anton van Wouw, Frikkie Kruger, Laurika Postma, Hennie Potgieter, Peter Kirchoff and Ernst Ullman.
Symbolism
A circle of 64 oxcarts protects the monument symbolically. It is also a recall of the laager (carriages arranged in circle) formed by the boers at the time of the Bataille Blood River.The four statues appearing in the four corners of the monument represent Piet Retief, Andries Pretorius, Hendrik Potgieter and Voortrekker unknown, forming a guard of honor symbolic system.
The statue of the woman and the child symbolize the Christianisme and the culture which the women maintained during all the Grand Trek while the Gnou S appear the warriors of the king Zoulou Dingane.
All the December 16th (day of the victory with Blood To rivet), the inscription " Ons vir you Suid-Afrika" (Us for you South Africa), who is reproduced on the Cénotaphe out of granite located at the center of the monument, symbolizing the tomb of Piet Retief and all Voortrekkers died during large the trek, is lit by the natural light of the sun which arrived by an opening at the top of the cupola. This sun ray symbolizes the grace that God spread on the work and the hopes of Voortrekkers.
See too
Satellite sight WikiMapia
External bonds
- Voortrekker Monument
- History of Voortrekker monument
- Voortrekkers youth movement ('' in [[Afrikaans] )]
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