The Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (SAAWK) (literally ''South African Academy for Science and Arts'') is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to promoting science, technology and the arts in Afrikaans, as well as promoting the use and quality of Afrikaans. The

Hertzog Prize The Hertzog Prize (or Hertzogprys) is an annual award given to Afrikaans writers by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (South African Academy for the Sciences and Art), formerly the South African Academy for Language, Literature a ...

is awarded annually by the academy for high-quality literary work, while the Havenga prize is awarded annually for original research in the sciences.

Origin

The initiative for the founding of the SAAWK came from General

J. B. M. Hertzog General James Barry Munnik Hertzog (3 April 1866 – 21 November 1942), better known as Barry Hertzog or J. B. M. Hertzog, was a South African politician and soldier. He was a Boer general during the Second Boer War who serve ...

who championed the Dutch-Afrikaans language. He suggested ''"dat een lichaam in 't leven worde geroepen ter bevordering van de Hollandse taal en letteren in Zuid-Afrika"'' (that one organisation be established to promote the Dutch language and literature in South Africa). On 2 July 1909, the first 30 members of the body gathered to form the ''"Zuid-Afrikaanse Akademie voor Taal, Letteren en Kunst"'' (South African Academy for Language, Literature and Art). The aim of the academy was "The enforcement and promotion of Dutch Language and Literature, and of the South African History, Archeology and Art", with an addendum that Dutch implied both Dutch and Afrikaans, as both languages were common in South Africa at the time. The name of the Academy was changed to the ''Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns'' in 1942 when a "science and technology" faculty was created. Since then, it has been responsible for the establishment of, among others, the

Simon van der Stel Simon van der Stel (14 October 1639 – 24 June 1712) was the last commander and first Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony, the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope. Background Simon was the son of Adriaan van der Steland Maria Lievens ...

Foundation and the Africa Institute. Furthermore, the Academy strives to promote interest in South African history, antiquities, art and Afrikaans language and literature. The Academy has become known over the years because of the regular awarding of literary prizes (of which the

is best known) and other prestigious awards such as the

N. P. van Wyk Louw Nicolaas Petrus van Wyk Louw (11 June 1906 in Sutherland, Cape Colony – 18 June 1970 in Johannesburg), almost universally known as N.P. van Wyk Louw, was an Afrikaans-language poet, playwright and scholar. He was the older brother of Afrikaan ...

medal. Honorary membership of the Academy is regarded as an exceptionally high honour, although it is not accompanied by any prize or prize money. A person considered for honorary membership of the Academy is nominated in recognition of exceptional service to South Africa, the Afrikaans language, or to the Academy in particular.

Change in status

In the early 1990s it was decided that a new organisation should be created to be the representative national science academy for South Africa. To this end the president of the Foundation for Research and Development invited the

Royal Society of South Africa The Royal Society of South Africa is a learned society composed of eminent South African scientists and academics. The society was granted its royal charter by King Edward VII in 1908, nearly a century after Capetonians first began to conceive of ...

(RSSAf), the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (SAAWK) and the Science and Engineering Academy of South Africa (SEASA) to jointly plan a new academy. This led to the creation of The Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in 1995. Act 67 of 2001, the ASSAf Statute, revoked the SAAWK statute and ASSAf became the only national science academy of South Africa. In response to this the ''Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns'' registered in 2002 as a

Nonprofit company A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

Awards

Prizes, medals, awards of honorary membership and bursaries, as awarded by the Academy, are listed below.

Prizes

Eugène Marais Prize The Eugène Marais Prize is a South African literary prize awarded by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns for a first or early publication in Afrikaans. In 1971 it was renamed after the Afrikaans poet and researcher Eugène Marais. ...

* Scheepers Prize for Youth Literature * SA Academy Prize for Translated Work *

Alba Bouwer Prize The Alba Bouwer Prize ( af, Alba Bouwerprys vir Kinderliteratuur) is a prize for outstanding children's literature in Afrikaans, awarded triennially by the South African Academy of Science and Arts. Works qualifying for the prize should have been ...

for Children's Literature * Elsabe Steenberg Prize for Translated Children's and Youth Literature in Afrikaans *

C.J. Langenhoven Cornelis Jacobus Langenhoven (13 August 1873 – 15 July 1932), who published under his initials C.J. Langenhoven, was a South African poet who played a major role in the development of Afrikaans literature and cultural history. His poetry was ...

prize for linguistics *

Gustav Preller 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 Afrika ...

Prize for Literature and Literary Criticism * Toon van den Heever prize for jurisprudence * DF du Toit-Malherbe Prize for Genealogical Research * Stals prize *

Totius Prize Totius may refer to: *Jakob Daniël du Toit (1877–1953), an Afrikaner poet, known as Totius *Imperator totius Hispaniae is a Latin title meaning "Emperor of All Spain". In Spain in the Middle Ages, the title "emperor" (from Latin ''imper ...

for Theology and the study of the basics of the Bible * Samuel Edward Mqhayi prize *

Olive Schreiner Prize The Olive Schreiner Prize has been awarded annually since 1961 to emerging writers in the field of drama, prose, or poetry. It is named after Olive Schreiner, the South African author and activist. It rewards promising novice work, by writers who ...

for English Literature * Havenga Prize *

Albert Strating Prize Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert ...

for Preventative Medicine * FARMOVS Prize for Pharmacology and Drug Development *

Douw Greeff Prize Douw may refer to: * Douw Calitz (born 1974) South African lawn bowls player * Douw Steyn (born 1952) South African businessman * De Peyster Douw Brown (1915–1991) U.S. fighter pilot * William Douw Lighthall (1857–1954) Canadian lawyer * De ...

Esther Greeff Prize Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen ...

Louis Hiemstra Prize Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

for Non-fiction * Huberte Rupert Prize for Classical Music * CL Engelbrecht prize * Protea Book House Prize for Best History Dissertation

Medals

* Tienie Holloway Medal for Kindergarten literature * Markus Viljoen Medal for Journalistic Performance *

D.F. Malan Daniël François Malan (; 22 May 1874 – 7 February 1959) was a South African politician who served as the fourth prime minister of South Africa from 1948 to 1954. The National Party implemented the system of apartheid, which enforc ...

medal * Rev. Pieter van Drimmelen medal * NP van Wyk Louw medal * Elizabeth C. Steijn medal * Frans du Toit Medal for Business Leadership *

Transnet Transnet SOC Ltd is a large South African rail, port and pipeline company, headquartered in the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg. It was formed as a limited company on 1 April 1990. A majority of the company's stock is owned by the Department ...

Medal * Gold Academy Medal for Natural Science and Technical Achievement * MT Steyn Medal for Natural Science and Technical Achievement * Senior Captain Scott Medal * Junior Captain Scott Medal *

Christo Wiese Christoffel F. Hendrik Wiese (born 10 September 1941) is a South African businessman and former billionaire. His source of wealth is consumer retail.

Medal for an Emerging Entrepreneur

Awards of honorary membership

Awards are given in the following categories: * Contributions to Afrikaans Radio dramatisations * Contributions to Afrikaans Television Drama and Afrikaans Documentary Television Programmes * Contributions to the Academy * Promotion of Scientific subjects * Honorary membership of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology

Other

Elisabeth Eybers Elisabeth Françoise Eybers (26 February 1915 – 1 December 2007) was a South African poet. Her poetry was mainly in Afrikaans, although she translated some of her own work (and those of others) into English. Eybers was born in Klerksdorp, ...

bursary * Special bursaries

Sources

*Combrink, J.G.H. and Spies, J.
SARA: Sakboek van regte Afrikaans
' (in Afrikaans), ''Tafelberg'', Cape Town, 1994 *Kapp, P.H.
Draer van 'n droom: die geskiedenis van die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, 1909-2009
' (in Afrikaans), ''Hemel & See Boeke'', Hermanus, 2009 *Nienaber, P.J.
Op brandwag vir ons taal : die geskiedenis en werksaamhede van die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns
' (in Afrikaans), ''S.A. Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns'', South Africa, 1950

References

External links

Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns website
{{Authority control Scientific organisations based in South Africa Science and technology in South Africa Scientific organizations established in 1909 1909 establishments in South Africa Academies of sciences