Afrikaner Nationalism and the Production of a White Cultural Heritage: An analysis of selected works undertaken by Dirk Visser and Gabriel Fagan from 1967-1993

Darke, Nicola Susan

Afrikaner Nationalism and the Production of a White Cultural Heritage: An analysis of selected works undertaken by Dirk Visser and Gabriel Fagan from 1967-1993

Master Thesis

2012

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Division of Geomatics

Faculty

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

Abstract

This dissertation entitled The Afrikaner Nationalism and the Production of a White Cultural Heritage: An analysis of selected works undertaken by Dirk Visser and Gabriel Fagan from 1967-1993 examines the construct of a white settler heritage as promoted and implemented through various restorations and reconstructions of DutchNOC buildings. The primary rationale of this study is to critically assess the actions of the main protagonists in the creation of this heritage, that is, the Department of Public Works, the National Monuments Council, Anton Rupert (and his Historic Homes of South Africa), the Simon van der Stel Foundation, the Institute of South African Architects and the provincial institutes. Directly related to this issue is the assessment as to whether the isolationist nature of the South Africa contributed to the plethora of stylistic restoration and reconstructions undertaken during the apartheid era. This study comprises two sections: first, the examination of the intellectual theoretical texts of Foucault, Nora and others pertaining to power, ideology, history and memory, as well as the seminal texts of Jokilehto and Choay which discuss the stylistic and historicist conservation theories of Viollet-le-Duc; and second, the analysis of selected case studies undertaken by Fagan on behalf of the state (The Castle of Good Hope and De Tuynhuys) and Visser on behalf of Rupert and Historic Homes of South Africa (Drostdy of Graaff-Reinet).