The Huguenot Monument in

Franschhoek Franschhoek (; Afrikaans for "French Corner", Dutch spelling before 1947 ''Fransche Hoek'') is a small town in the Western Cape Province and one of the oldest towns in South Africa. Formerly known as Oliphants hoek (as there were vast groups of ...

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 202 ...

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 coun ...

, is dedicated to the cultural influences that

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s have brought to the

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 ...

(and ultimately the whole of South Africa) after their immigration during the 17th and 18th centuries. These French and Belgian Protestants were fleeing violent religious persecution, especially in

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

France. The monument was designed by J.C. Jongens, completed in 1945, and inaugurated by Dr. A.J. van der Merwe on 17 April 1948. The three high arches symbolize the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On top of the arches is the sun of righteousness and above that, the Huguenot cross of their Christian faith. The central female figure, created by Coert Steynberg, personifies religious freedom, holding a bible in one hand and a broken chain in the other. She is casting off her cloak of oppression. Her position on top of the globe shows her spiritual freedom and parallels some representations of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

in Roman Catholic iconography, which depict her with one foot resting on the globe. The

fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

on the woman's robe represents noble spirit and character; it also was long the chief symbol of the French monarchy, still in power at the time of the Huguenot exodus. The southern tip of the globe shows symbols relating to the Huguenots: the Bible, for their faith; a harp, for their art and culture; a sheaf of corn and a grape vine, representing agriculture and viticulture; and a silk and cloth weavers' spinning wheel, representing their industry. The water pond, reflecting the

colonnade In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or cur ...

behind it, expresses the undisturbed tranquility of mind and spiritual peace which the

Huguenots The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster B ...

refugees gained in South Africa after having experienced deadly religious persecution in France. The

Huguenot Memorial Museum Huguenot Memorial Museum portrays the history of the French Huguenots who came to South Africa at the end of the seventeenth century. Displays are housed in the main building, and continue in the annex. The museum also has a shop, and is adjacen ...

adjacent to the monument explores the history of the French Huguenots who settled in the Cape, and especially in the

Valley. On exhibition are the various tools they used to make wine, clothes they wore, and interpretation of their culture and goals. Also on the site are

wine cellar A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae, or plastic containers. In an ''active'' wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control system ...

s joined by a colonnade bearing the words '' Post Tenebras Lux'' ("After darkness, light" in Latin). A motto of

Protestants Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

during the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, the phrase was first inscribed on the

Reformation Wall The International Monument to the Reformation (French: ''Monument international de la Réformation''; German: ''Internationales Reformationsdenkmal''), usually known as the Reformation Wall (French: ''Mur des réformateurs''), was inaugurated in ...

in Geneva, Switzerland, which is dedicated to the Protestant Reformation.

Other Huguenot monuments and memorials in South Africa

Johannesburg Botanical Garden Huguenot Memorial (front)

* In the

Johannesburg Botanical Garden The Johannesburg Botanical Garden is located in the suburb of Emmarentia in Johannesburg, South Africa. The gardens grew out of a large rose garden that was established in 1964 (becoming known locally as the "Rose Garden") and subsequently expand ...

stands a memorial commemorating the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the Huguenots in South Africa. * Joubert Square of

Wellington, Western Cape Wellington is a town in the Western Cape Winelands, a 45-minute drive from Cape Town, in South Africa with a population of approximately 62,000. Wellington's economy is centered on agriculture such as wine, table grapes, deciduous fruit, and a bra ...

, has a Huguenot Fountain. * On Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town, stands the Huguenot Memorial Building, erected by the Huguenot Memorial Society. The remains of President Kruger lay in state here before being taken to the Netherlands for burial.

External links

{{Commons category, Saasveld House
The Huguenot Memorial Museum website

The Huguenot Society of South Africa
Buildings and structures completed in 1945 Monuments and memorials in South Africa French-South African culture Huguenot history in South Africa Buildings and structures in the Western Cape

Other Huguenot monuments and memorials in South Africa

See also

External links