Hilda Kuper facts for kids

Hilda Beemer Kuper (born August 23, 1911 – died April 23, 1992) was a social anthropologist. She is famous for her detailed studies of the Swazi culture.

Early Life and Education

Hilda Kuper was born in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, in 1911. Her parents were from Lithuania and Austria. After her father passed away, she moved to South Africa.

Hilda studied at the University of the Witwatersrand. Later, she went to the London School of Economics. There, she learned from a famous professor named Bronisław Malinowski.

Studying Swazi Culture

In 1934, Hilda Kuper received a special scholarship. This allowed her to study in Swaziland. In July of that year, she met Sobhuza II, who was the chief and later the king of Swaziland.

With help from King Sobhuza and her professor, Hilda moved to the royal village of Lobamba. She was introduced to the Queen Mother, Lomawa Ndwandwe. Here, Hilda learned the siSwati language. She also began her important research into Swazi culture.

Her studies led to two major works in 1947:

• An African Aristocracy: Rank among the Swazi
• The Uniform of Colour: a Study of White–Black Relationships in Swaziland

Later Career and Research

In the early 1950s, Hilda Kuper moved to Durban, South Africa. During this time, she focused her studies on the Indian community in the Natal region. She wrote about this in her book, Indian People in Natal (1960).

In 1953, Hilda became a senior lecturer at the University of Natal. Besides her academic work, she also helped start the South African Liberal Party in Natal with her husband, Leo Kuper. This party worked for fairness and equality.

In 1961, the Kupers moved to Los Angeles, USA. They moved to escape the difficult political situation in South Africa at the time. Leo became a professor at the UCLA. In 1963, Hilda published The Swazi: a South African Kingdom. She also became a professor of anthropology at UCLA. She was a very popular teacher. In 1969, she won a special award called a Guggenheim fellowship.

In 1978, Hilda Kuper wrote a detailed book about King Sobhuza II. It was called King Sobhuza II, Ngwenyama and King of Swaziland.

Awards and Recognition

Hilda Kuper received several important awards for her work:

• Rivers Memorial Medal from the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland (1961)
• Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1969)
• Honorary doctorate from the University of Swaziland (1990)

Personal Life

Hilda Kuper married Leo Kuper in 1936. They had two daughters, Mary and Jenny. Her nephew, Adam Kuper, also became an anthropologist.