The Castle of Good Hope ( nl, Kasteel de Goede Hoop; af, Kasteel die Goeie Hoop) known locally as the Castle or Cape Town Castle is a

bastion fort A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, literally meaning ''Italian outline'') is a fortification in a style that evolved during the early modern period of gunpowder when the cannon came to domin ...

built in the 17th century in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second larges ...

, South Africa. Originally located on the coastline of

Table Bay Table Bay (Afrikaans: ''Tafelbaai'') is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town (founded 1652 by Van Riebeeck) and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named b ...

, following land reclamation the fort is now located inland.Dirk Teeuwen (2007) ''Kasteel De Goede Hoop, Castle of Good Hope''
In 1936 the Castle was declared a historical monument (now a

provincial heritage site Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Cana ...

) and following restorations in the 1980s it is considered the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort.

History

Built by the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock c ...

between 1666 and 1679, the Castle is the oldest existing building in South Africa. It replaced an older fort called the

Fort de Goede Hoop The Fort de Goede Hoop ('Fort of Good Hope') was the first military building to be erected in what is now Cape Town. It was built in 1652, and was in use until 1674 when it was superseded by the Castle of Good Hope. History The Fort was ...

which was constructed from clay and timber and built by

Jan van Riebeeck Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 – 18 January 1677) was a Dutch navigator and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company. Life Early life Jan van Riebeeck was born in Culemborg, as the son of a surgeon. H ...

upon his arrival at the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is ...

in 1652.Peter Schirmer (1983) ''Cape Town, The Fairest Cape'', C.Struik (Pty) Ltd., Cape Town Two

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect sold ...

s, Redoubt Kyckuit (Lookout) and Redoubt Duijnhoop (Duneheap) were built at the mouth of the Salt River in 1654. The purpose of the Dutch settlement in the Cape was to act as a replenishment station for ships passing the treacherous coast around the Cape on long voyages between the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and the Dutch East Indies (now

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

). During 1664, tensions between

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

and the Netherlands rose amid rumours of war. That same year, Commander Zacharias Wagenaer, successor to Jan van Riebeeck, was instructed by Commissioner

Isbrand Goske IJsbrand Godske (also spelled Isbrand, Usbrand, Goske, or Godsken) ( 1626 – after 1689) was the second Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony. After the death of Governor Pieter Hackius's on 30 November 1671, Godske was appointed to succeed him wi ...

to build a pentagonal fortress out of stone. The first stone was laid on 2 January 1666. Work was interrupted frequently because the Dutch East India Company was reluctant to spend money on the project. On 26 April 1679, the five bastions were named after the main titles of William III of Orange-Nassau: Leerdam to the west, with Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau, and Oranje clockwise from it. The names of these bastions have been used as street names in suburbs in various provinces, but primarily of Cape Town, such as

Stellenberg, Bellville Stellenberg is a suburb in Bellville, Western Cape South Africa. Name and history The suburb originates its name from the original farm on which it was developed. The farm were called Stellenburgh (later changed to Stellenburg), and was origin ...

In 1682 the gated entry replaced the old entrance, which had faced the sea. A bell tower, situated over the main entrance, was built in 1684—the original bell, the oldest in South Africa, was cast in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

in 1697 by the East-Frisian bellmaker Claude Fremy, and weighs just over . It was used to announce the time, as well as warning citizens in case of danger, since it could be heard 10 kilometres away. It was also rung to summon residents and soldiers when important announcements needed to be made. The fortress housed a church, bakery, various workshops, living quarters, shops, and cells, among other facilities. The yellow paint on the walls was originally chosen because it lessened the effect of heat and the sun. A wall, built to protect citizens in case of an attack, divides the inner courtyard, which also houses the De Kat Balcony, which was designed by Louis Michel Thibault with

relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s and sculptures by

Anton Anreith Anton Anreith (; June 11, 1754 – March 4, 1822) Ancestry24.com
was a sculptor and woodcarver ...

. The original was built in 1695, but rebuilt in its current form between 1786 and 1790. From the balcony, announcements were made to soldiers, slaves and ''burghers'' of the Cape. The balcony leads to the

William Fehr William Fehr (17 April 1892 – 2 April 1968) was a South African businessman and art collector noted for his acquisition of famous artworks, known as The William Fehr Collection, now on display in the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town. The col ...

collection of paintings and antique furniture. It was briefly home to Lady Anne Barnard, after whom one of the Castle function rooms is named. During the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

(1899–1902), part of the castle was used as a prison, and the former cells remain to this day. Fritz Joubert Duquesne, later known as the ''man who killed

Kitchener Kitchener may refer to: People * Earl Kitchener, a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ** Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (1850–1916), British Field Marshal and 1st Earl Kitchener ** Henry Kitchener, 2nd Earl Kitchener (1846–1937) ...

'' and the leader of the Duquesne Spy Ring, was one of its more well-known residents. The walls of the castle were extremely thick, but night after night, Duquesne dug away the cement around the stones with an iron spoon. He nearly escaped one night, but a large stone slipped and pinned him in his tunnel. The next morning, a guard found him unconscious but alive. In 1936, the Castle was declared an historical monument (from 1969 known as a

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...

and since 1 April 2000 a

), the first site in South Africa to be so protected.p.2, Oberholster JJ, The Historical Monuments of South Africa, Cape Town: The Rembrandt van Rijn Foundation, 1972 Extensive restorations were completed during the 1980s making the Castle the best preserved example of a Dutch East India Company fort. The Castle acted as local headquarters for the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service. ...

in the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

, and today houses the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regiments. The Castle is also the home of the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment, a mechanised infantry unit.

Symbolism

Prior to being replaced in 2003, the distinctive shape of the pentagonal castle was used on

South African Defence Force The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...

flags, formed the basis of some rank

insignia An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body. On its own, an insignia is a sign of a specific or general authority and is ...

of major and above, and was used on

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

aircraft. Ensign of the South African National Defence Force (1994–2003).svg, The South African Defence Force Ensign from 1994 to 2003 Naval Ensign of South Africa (1981–1994).svg, Naval ensign of South Africa prior to 1994, showing the castle insignia Roundel of South Africa (1982-2003).svg, Roundel of the

South African Air Force "Through hardships to the stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment ...

from 1982 to 2003

Gallery

Kasteel van Goede Hoop binnenkant hoofdingang.JPG, Inner view of the entrance South Africa Cape Town Castle Flags.jpg, The six historical flags that have flown over the Cape, in chronological order from right to left: the Prince's Flag, the

flag of Great Britain The flag of Great Britain, commonly known as King's Colours, the first Union Flag, the Union Jack, or the British flag, was used at sea from 1606 and more generally from 1707 to 1801. It was the first flag of Great Britain. It is the precursor t ...

, the

Batavian flag The Batavian flag (contemporaneous Dutch: ''Bataafsche vlag''; also called ''Nationale vlag'', "National flag") is a Dutch historical flag. It was designed by Dirk Langendijk in January 1796, and introduced in March 1796 as the official flag of t ...

, the flag of the United Kingdom, the old South African flag, and the current South African flag Pediment above enterance to CT Castle.jpg, Pediment above entrance to castle. Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town 02.jpg, Entrance of main building Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town 04.jpg, A cannon in the castle Castle of Good Hope - model of the castle in 1710-90.jpg, A model of the castle as it would have appeared between 1710 and 1790.

Notes

References

External links

Official website

* ttp://www.fortified-places.com/capetown/ Castle of Good Hope on the Fortified Places website* {{Authority control Castles in South Africa Forts in South Africa Buildings and structures completed in 1679 Buildings and structures in Cape Town History of Cape Town Maritime history of South Africa Military history of South Africa National symbols of South Africa Tourist attractions in Cape Town Historic sites in South Africa South African heritage sites 1679 establishments in the Dutch Empire Former properties of the Dutch East India Company Buildings and structures associated with the Dutch East India Company Reportedly haunted locations in South Africa