Gustav Schoeman Preller (4 October 1875 in Klein Schoemansdal, Klipdrift, Pretoria – 7 October 1943 in Pelindaba) was a journalist, historian, writer and literary critic. He fought for the recognition of Afrikaans. Preller helped the

Afrikaner Afrikaners () are a South African ethnic group descended from Free Burghers, predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th and 18th centuries.Entry: Cape Colony. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 4 Part 2: ...

to awake to the importance of the history of South Africa. He made great contributions to the writing of South African history, through his research and the literature. He also contributed greatly to making South Africans aware of the legacy of the Voortrekkers and also played an early part in planning the Voortrekker Monument.

Background

Gustav was the son of Comdt. Robert Logie Preller and Stefina Schoeman (daughter of the Voortrekker Gen. Stephanus Schoeman). His parents farmed near Standerton where he attended school for only 3 years. Later he worked in Pretoria as a shop-assistant, an articled clerk and a civil servant, studying diligently when he found the time. When the Boer War started, he was working as a clerk for the Department of Mines and would marry Johanna, the granddaughter of M. W. Pretorius (i.e. 'Swart Martiens', the cousin of M. W. Pretorius) and Deborah Retief, in 1898. During the Anglo-Boer War, he was part of the Pretoria Commando serving in the artillery but was captured at Ermelo and sent to India as a prisoner of war. On his return to the Transvaal Colony in 1902 at the end of the war, there was no job for him at the Department of Mines and he considered emigrating to Argentina, but was offered the editorship of ''Land en Volk''. By 1903 he was editor of ''De Volkstem'', the mouthpiece of Louis Botha's future party, '' Het Volk''. He increased the circulation from 2,000 to 20,000. As a supporter of Louis Botha, he became a South African Party member from its creation in 1910 with the formation of the Union of South Africa.He was a South African Freemason., He was editor of ''

Die Brandwag ''Die Brandwag'' was the first illustrated family magazine published in Afrikaans in the Transvaal, appearing monthly between 1910 and 1922 under the joint editorship of Dr W M R Malherbe and Gustav Preller. The first issue appeared on 31 May 191 ...

'' magazine from 1910 until 1922. After the death of Botha in 1919 his loyalty wavered and he joined the National Party in 1925. He became editor of the party's mouthpiece, ''Ons Vaderland''. During the period of his various editorships, he conducted historical research into the histories of the Boers in Natal and the Transvaal and the Great Trek and Anglo-Boer wars. In 1936, Preller was appointed as the state historian, which position he held until his death.

Bibliography

Some of his works included, * ''Piet Retief'', 1906 * ''Voortrekkermense'', 1918–38, six volumes of documents about the Great Trek * ''Oorlogsoormag'', 1923, study of the Anglo-Boer War * ''Andries Pretorius'', 1938 * ''Ons Parool'', 1938 * ''Talana, Die Drie Generaals-slag by Dundee, met Lewensskets van Genl. Daniel Erasmus'', 1942

Legacy

The South African Academy of Science and Art (Afrikaans: '' Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns'') gives out the annual ''Gustav Preller Award'', which has been awarded since 1909.

References

External links

Preller Award
{{DEFAULTSORT:Preller, Gustav South African journalists South African literary critics 20th-century South African historians 1875 births 1943 deaths Historians of South Africa South African Freemasons

Background

Bibliography

Legacy

Further reading

References

External links