The Slave Lodge is one of the oldest buildings in

Cape Town, South Africa Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

, with a history spanning more than three centuries. The building has served various purposes over the years, transitioning from its original role as a slave lodge to housing government offices, the Old Supreme Court, and eventually becoming the South African Cultural History Museum. Today, it is part of the Iziko Museums of South Africa.

History

Slave Lodge (1679 – 1811)

The Slave Lodge was built in 1679 by the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

(VOC) to house

enslaved people Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

brought to the

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

to work for the company. The structure initially accommodated up to 500 enslaved individuals, who lived in overcrowded conditions. The lodge was designed as a secure and enclosed building. The enslaved individuals housed in the lodge came from regions including East Africa, Madagascar, India, and Southeast Asia. They worked in agriculture, construction, and domestic service. In 1795, the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

captured the Cape Colony for the first time, returning it briefly to the Dutch in 1803 under the

Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic (; ) was the Succession of states, successor state to the Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the acce ...

. British control resumed in 1806 following the

Battle of Blaauwberg The Battle of Blaauwberg (also known as the Battle of Cape Town) was a successful British amphibious operation during the War of the Third Coalition which lasted from 8–18 January 1806 and resulted in the capture of the Dutch Cape Colony. Af ...

. In 1811, under British administration, the building ceased to function as a slave lodge.

Government Offices Building (1811 – 1911)

After its use as a slave lodge ended, the building was repurposed to house various government offices. Modifications were made to the structure to accommodate its administrative functions. During this period, it served as the seat of colonial administration. In 1854, the first

Cape Parliament The Parliament of the Cape of Good Hope functioned as the legislature of the Cape Colony, from its founding in 1853, until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, when it was dissolved and the Parliament of South Africa was establish ...

was established, marking a significant political milestone in the colony's governance.

Old Supreme Court (1911 – 1960s)

In 1911, the building was repurposed as the Old Supreme Court. Architectural modifications were made to create courtrooms and judicial chambers. This role continued through significant legal and political developments, including the rise of segregationist laws in the early 20th century. The court functioned at this location until the construction of new judicial facilities in the 1960s.

South African Cultural History Museum (1960s – 1998)

In 1966, the building underwent restoration and was designated as the South African Cultural History Museum. The museum opened to the public in 1967. It houses cultural artifacts and historical displays related to the history of the region, including exhibits on slavery and broader themes in cultural history.

Slave Lodge Museum (1998 – Present)

In 1998, the museum was renamed the Slave Lodge Museum and became part of the Iziko Museums of South Africa, which manage several key heritage sites in the

Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...

References

External links

* * Museums in Cape Town Slavery museums {{SouthAfrica-museum-stub