Abraham Fischer (9 April 1850 – 16 November 1913) was a South African statesman. He was the sole

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

of the

Orange River Colony The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Union ...

in South Africa, and when that ceased to exist joined the cabinet of the newly formed

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Tr ...

Early life

Fischer was born on 9 April 1850 in

Green Point, Cape Town Green Point ( af, Groenpunt) is an affluent suburb on the Atlantic Seaboard of Cape Town, South Africa located to the north west of the central business district. It is a popular residential area for young professionals and for the Cape Town gay ...

in to Johannes Jacobus George Fischer, formerly of 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 ...

, and Catherina Anna Margertha Brink.Braam Fischer: The Man with Two Faces, Afrikaanse Pers, Chris Vermaak, 1963

Biography

He was educated at the

South African College The South African College was an educational institution in Cape Town, South Africa, which developed into the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the South African College Schools (SACS). History The process that would lead to the formation of th ...

, and became a lawyer in

Cape Colony The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with ...

, joining the bar in 1875. In 1873 he married Ana Robertson (1851-1927), the daughter of Scottish immigrants to the Free State. He became interested in the politics of 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 ...

, and in 1878 became a member of the Orange Free State's ''Volksraad''. He became vice-president of the ''Volksraad'' in 1893, a member of the executive council in 1896, and took part in many colonial and interstate conferences. He headed a joint deputation from Transvaal and Orange Free State to Europe and America during the

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 Sou ...

to solicit support for the Boers, returning in 1903 to practice law in the newly formed Orange River Colony. Continuing to promote the Boer cause, he helped form the

Orangia Unie Orangia Unie (United Orange) was a political party established in May 1906 in the Orange River Colony (formerly the Orange Free State) under the leadership of Abraham Fischer, Martinus Theunis Steyn and J. B. M. Hertzog. When the colony gained sel ...

party in May 1906 and became its chairman; the party won the majority of seats in the colony's first elections that were held in November 1907. On 27 November, he was chosen as Prime Minister, and stayed in that position until it ceased to exist with the union of 31 May 1910. He then joined the cabinet of the

as Minister of Lands. He was made Privy Councillor in 1911 and became Minister of the Interior and Lands in 1912. He was the father of Percy Fischer, a Judge President of the

. He was the grandfather of Bram Fischer, a noted anti-apartheid activist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Abraham 1850 births 1913 deaths Afrikaner people Members of the House of Assembly (South Africa) South African Party (Union of South Africa) politicians Ministers of Home Affairs of South Africa South African members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Alumni of South African College Schools