Werner Willi Max Eiselen (1899–1977) was a South African anthropologist and linguist. He was an ally and associate of
Hendrik Verwoerd, the
Minister of Native Affairs
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
from 1950–1958 and the Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958–1966. He led the Eiselen Commission, an advisory board that investigated native education and formed the basis of the Bantu Education Act of 1953 which moved control of education of South Africa's blacks from missionary schools to local government control. It also made starting a "Bantu" school without permission and registration from the government illegal.
Eiselen was a supporter of
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
; he believed that it would be better for both white and black South Africans. Eiselen was fluent in a number of African languages and studied a number of South Africa's native tribes. Eiselen's books and works were commonly cited by the
National Party and pro-apartheid South Africans, and he is sometimes referred to as an "intellectual architect" of apartheid.
Biography
Werner Willi Max Eiselen was born in the
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
near modern
Botshabelo, the son of German missionaries from Berlin.
He spent his childhood and adolescence learning and speaking
Northern Sotho. Eiselen attained degrees in phonetics and anthropology, obtaining his Bachelors at the
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...
, his Masters at the
University of Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch University ( af, Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant ...
, and his doctorate at the
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg (german: link=no, Universität Hamburg, also referred to as UHH) is a public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System ('' Allgemeines Vor ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eiselen, Max
1899 births
1977 deaths
South African anthropologists
Linguists from South Africa
University of South Africa alumni
University of Hamburg alumni
Stellenbosch University alumni
Academic staff of Stellenbosch University
Apartheid in South Africa
20th-century anthropologists
20th-century linguists
South African expatriates in Germany