Thesis (MA)-- University Stellenbosch, 1993. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Johann Theophilus Hahn, seun van die Rynse sendeling, J. -Samuel
Hahn, is gebore op die sendingstasie Ebenhaeser (Lutzville) op 24
Desember 1842. As 'n seun op die sendingstasies Ebenaeser en
Bethanien en Berseba in Suidwes-Afrika (Namibie), het hy geleer om
die verskillende Khoisandialekte te praat. Ter wille van sy kinders
se akademiese opleiding het Samuel Hahn in 1852 na Duitsland
teruggekeer. Daar het Theophilus hornas uitstaande student bewys en
in 1870 het hy sy doktorsgraad verwerf met die proefskrif Die
- Sprache der Nama; nebst einem Anhang enthaltend Sprachproben aus
dem Munde des Volkes. Terwyl hy aan die universiteit van Halle
studeer het, het hy 'n aantal etnologiese artikels oor die inheemse
volkere van Suidwes-Afrika (Namibie) geskryf.
Met sy terugkeer na Suid-Afrika in 1871, het hy 'n handelaar in
Suidwes-Afrika geword. Na sy huwelik in 1875 met Marianne Esther de
La Roche Smuts het hy in Rehoboth gaan bly en aldaar 'n handelsaak
begin.
Hahn het Suidwes-Afrika in 1878 verlaat, nadat dit duidelik geword
het dat die Kaapse regering se entoesiasme vir optrede noord van
die Oranjerivier afgeneem het, as gevolg van sy militere probleme
op die oosgrens, in Griekwaland-Wes en Basoetoland. Hy het daarna
by sy broer Johannes, wat Rynse sendeling op Stellenbosch was, gaan
woon. Aldaar het hy die eerste landkaart van Suidwes-Afrika,
Original map of Namaqualand and Damaraland, voltooi.
In 1881 is hy as regeringsfiloloog en bewaarder van die
Grey-versameling in die Suid-Afrikaanse Openbare Biblioteek
(Suid-Afrikaanse Biblioteek) aangestel. Sy aanstelling het
veroorsaak dat die Hooggeregshof deur die Grey-trustees versoek is
om die versameling aan hulle oor te dra en om Hahn te verbied om
met die Grey-versameling in te meng. Die applikasie is deur die
Hooggeregshof van die hand gewys.
Terwyl hy vir die Kaapse regering gewerk het, het hy aan die Cape
Native Laws and Customs Commission inligting omtrent die Nama- en
Herero-kultuur verskaf. Hierdie kommissie was deur die Kaapse
regering aangestel om inligting aangaande die wette en gewoontes
van die inheemse volkere in te win en om verslag te doen aangaande
die wesenlikheid van die instelling van 'n soort stelsel van
plaaslike selfregering in die swart gebiede.
Vanaf sy plaas Prospect Hill het Hahn 'n brief geskryf aan die
agent van Adolf Llideritz,Heinrich Vogelsang, waarin hy waardevolle
inligting oor die moontlikhede van Suidwes-Afrika gemeld het en het
aan die hand gegee dat LlideritzAngra Pequena (Llideritzbaai)vir
handeldoeleindes moes bekom.
In 1883 het hy as regeringsfiloloog en Grey-bibliotekaris bedank en
het toe die plaasbestuurder van Welmoed, in die distrik van
Stellenbosch, geword. As wynboer het hy voorgestel dat n
kooperasie vir die produsering van wyn gestig word, asook spoediger
optrede met die bestryding van die fillokseraplaag.
Met Hahn se hulp het die Kharaskhoma Exploring and Prospecting
Syndicate, 'n maatskappy wat in Londen gebaseer was, in 1890
belangrike konsessies van die Bondelswart- en Velskoendraerkapteins
in Suidwes-Afrika bekom. Dit was 'n monopolie vir die eksploitering
van minerale, regte om handel te dryf en om spoorwee aan te le~
Na die regte van hierdie sindikaat aan die South African
Territories Company .oorgedra is, het Hahn weer Suidwes-Afrika
verlaat en die plaas Blaauwklip (Blaauwklippen) by Stellenbosch
gekoop. Sy pogings om te boer het misluk en die plaas is na sy
bankrotskap aan Cecil John Rhodes verkoop.
Daarna het hy agent vir Equitable Life Assurance Society in
Johannesburg geword. Terwyl hy by Markstraat 206, Johannesburg
gewoon het, het hy onsuksesvol aansoek gedoen om as spioen vir die
Britse Militere Regering op te tree.
Hy het op 22 Januarie 1905 gesterf en is in die Braamfonteinse
begraafplaas begrawe. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Johann Theophilus Hahn, son of the Rhenish missionary J. Samuel
Hahn, was born at the mission station Ebenaeser (Lutzville) on 24
December 1842. As a boy at the mission stations Ebenaeser and
Berseba and Bethanien in South West Africa (Namibia) he learned to
speak the different Khoisan dialects. Samuel Hahn left for Germany
in 1852, for the sake of his children~s academic training. There
Theophilus proved himself as an outstanding student and he obtained
his doctorate in 1870 on the dissertation Die Sprache der Nama;
nebst einem Anhang enthaltend Sprachproben aus dem Munde des
Volkes. While studying at the University of Halle he published a
number of ethnological studies relating to the aborigines of South
West Africa (Namibia).
On his return to South Africa, he became a trader in South West
Africa. After his marriage in 1875 to Marianne Esther de La Roche
Smuts he settled at Rehoboth, where he started a trading business.
Hahn left South West Africa in 1878, after it became clear that the
Cape Government's enthusiasm for action north of the Orange River
waned, as a result of its own military burdens on the eastern
border, in Griqualand West and Basutoland. He went to live with his
brother Johannes, a Rhenish missionary at Stellenbosch, where he
completed the first map of South West Africa - Original map of
Namagualand and Damaraland.
In 1881 he was appointed as government philologist and custodian of
the Grey Collection in the South African Public Library. His
appointment as Grey custodian gave rise to an application to the
Supreme Court to have the care and custody of the Grey Collection
given up to the Grey Trustees and for an interdict to restrain Hahn
from interfering with the Grey Collection. This application by the
Grey Trustees was refused by the Supreme Court.
In 1883 he provided the Cape Native Laws and Customs Commission
information regarding the Nama and Herero cultures. This commission
was directed by the Cape Government to enquire into the laws and
customs of the Blacks and to report on the advisability of
introducing some system of local self-government in the Black
territories.
While living at his farm Prospect Hill, he wrote a letter to the
agent of Adolf Llideritz,Heinrich Vogelsang, in which he supplied
valuable information about the prospects of South West Africa and
suggested that Llideritzacquire Angra Pequena (LlideritzBay) as a
harbour for trading purposes.
He resigned as philologist and Grey Librarian in 1883 and became
the manager of the farm Welmoed, in the district of Stellenbosch.
As a wine-farmer he proposed the establishing of a co-operative for
the production of wine, also prompt action for combating the
phylloxera disease.
With the assistance of Hahn the mining company Kharaskhoma
Exploring and Prospecting Syndicate, a company based in London,
obtained in 1890 important concessions from the chiefs of
Bondelswart and Veldskoendraers - a monopoly for the exploitation
of minerals, rights to trade and to contruct railways.
After the syndicate transfered its rights to the South African
Territories Company, he left South West Africa and bought th farm
Blaauwklip (Blaauwklippen) at Stellenbosch. His farming attempts
proved a disaster and his farm was sold to Cecil John Rhodes.
He became an agent for the Equitable Life Assurance Society in
Johannesburg and while residing at 206 Market Street he offered to
act as a spy for the British Military Government. This was
declined.
He died on 22 January 1905 and was buried in the Braamfontein
cemetery.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16470 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Hahn, Hildegarde L. |
| Contributors | Venter, C., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 249 p. : ill. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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