Sytze Wopkes Wierda (28 February 1839 in Hemrik, 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 ...

– 10 December 1911 in

Sea Point Sea Point (Afrikaans: ''Seepunt'') is one of Cape Town's most affluent and densely populated suburbs, situated between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean, a few kilometres to the west of Cape Town's Central Business District (CBD). Moving from ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

) was a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

architect and engineer who played an important role in the architecture of the

South African Republic The South African Republic ( nl, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, abbreviated ZAR; af, Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer Republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it ...

in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wierda was trained as a carpenter before studying architecture. In his home country he was involved in the construction of railways and other public works, as well as designing several churches for the Christian Reformed Church, the protestant denomination of which he was a member. He was brought to the republic by State President

Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (; 10 October 1825 – 14 July 1904) was a South African politician. He was one of the dominant political and military figures in 19th-century South Africa, and President of the South African Republic (or ...

who was a great admirer of his work and wanted to establish a typically South African style of architecture with Dutch roots. His works include numerous official buildings and structures like post offices, police stations, gaols and bridges. Most of his buildings are located in Pretoria with the notable exception of the Rissik Street Post Office in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

. One of his most celebrated works is the Palace of Justice on Church Square in Pretoria.Artefacts
http://www.artefacts.co.za/main/Buildings/archframes.php?archid=1892&orig_form=archlistframes.php&bldgorder=%60tblbldg%60.%60name%60&orderby=Surname&initial=W&source=0&backbutton=1 WIERDA, Sytze Wopkes] The South African community

Wierdapark Wierdapark is a suburb of Centurion, Gauteng, near Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretori ...

is named in his honor. Law Chambers-001.jpg, Palace of Justice (Pretoria) Palace of Justice (S Wierda) 1902 Church Square Pretoria 010.jpg, Palace of Justice (Pretoria) Old Magistrates Office, Church Street, Boksburg 02.JPG, Old Magistrate's Office (Boksburg) Wierda Bridge.JPG, Wierda Bridge (Pretoria)

References

External links

Profile at RKD
1839 births 1911 deaths 19th-century Dutch architects 19th-century South African architects 20th-century South African architects Christian Reformed Churches Christians from the Netherlands Dutch ecclesiastical architects Dutch emigrants to South Africa History of Pretoria People from Opsterland {{Netherlands-architect-stub