Voortrekker Monument facts for kids
The Monument from the front
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| Coordinates | 25°46′35″S 28°10′39″E / 25.77639°S 28.17750°E |
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| Location | Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Designer | Gerard Moerdijk |
| Material | Granite |
| Length | 40 metres (130 ft) |
| Width | 40 metres (130 ft) |
| Height | 40 metres (130 ft) |
| Beginning date | 13 July 1937 |
| Completion date | 12 December 1949 |
| Opening date | 16 December 1949 |
| Dedicated to | Voortrekkers |
The Voortrekker Monument is a large building found just south of Pretoria in South Africa. It is made of granite and sits on top of a hill. This monument was built to remember the Voortrekkers. These were people who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854. The famous architect Gerard Moerdijk designed it.
On 8 July 2011, the Voortrekker Monument became a National Heritage Site. This means it is a very important place for South Africa's history.
Contents
History of the Monument
The idea to build a monument for the Voortrekkers first came up on 16 December 1888. This was when Paul Kruger, who was the President of the South African Republic, attended a special celebration. This celebration was called the Day of the Vow and took place in Natal.
However, the actual plan to build the monument only started on 4 April 1931. A group called the Sentrale Volksmonumentekomitee (SVK) was created to make this dream come true.
Building work began on 13 July 1937. The chairman of the SVK, Ernest George Jansen, performed a special ceremony to start the building. This spot later became known as Monument Hill.
On 16 December 1938, the first stone of the monument was laid. Three women, who were descendants of important Voortrekker leaders, helped with this. They were Mrs. J.C. Muller, Mrs. K.F. Ackerman, and Mrs. J.C. Preller.
The monument was officially opened on 16 December 1949 by Prime Minister D. F. Malan. It cost about £360,000 to build, and most of the money came from the South African government.
A very large amphitheatre was built near the monument in 1949. It could hold about 20,000 people for events.
Main Features of the Monument
The Voortrekker Monument is 40 metres tall. Its base is 40 metres long and 40 metres wide. The building looks a bit like some European monuments. However, it also has African design influences. The two most interesting parts inside are the Historical Frieze and the Cenotaph.
The Historical Frieze
When you enter the monument, you walk into the Hall of Heroes. This huge room has a domed ceiling and four big windows made of yellow Belgian glass. Here you will find the amazing marble Historical Frieze. It is the biggest marble frieze in the world.
The frieze has 27 carved panels. These panels show the history of the Great Trek. They also show what daily life was like for the Voortrekkers. You can see their work methods and their religious beliefs. The panels tell the story from the first Voortrekkers in 1835. They go all the way to the signing of the Sand River Convention in 1852.
In the middle of the Hall of Heroes floor, there is a large round opening. Through this opening, you can see the Cenotaph in the room below.
The Cenotaph
The Cenotaph is in the middle of the Cenotaph Hall. It is the most important part of the monument. You can see it from the Hall of Heroes above. You can also see it from the very top of the building.
Every year on 16 December, at noon, a ray of sunlight shines through an opening in the dome. This light falls directly onto the centre of the Cenotaph. It lights up the words 'Ons vir Jou, Suid-Afrika'. This is Afrikaans for 'We're for you, South Africa'. These words are from the old South African anthem, 'Die Stem van Suid-Afrika'. The ray of light shows God's blessing on the Voortrekkers.
December 16, 1838, was the date of the Battle of Blood River. Before 1994, this day was celebrated in South Africa as the Day of the Vow.
The Cenotaph Hall is decorated with flags from the different Voortrekker Republics. It also has wall tapestries that show the Voortrekkers. There are also display cases with old items from the Great Trek. On the north wall, there is a special spot with a lantern. A flame has been burning in this lantern since 1938. This was the year of the Symbolic Ox Wagon Trek. This trek started in Cape Town and ended at Monument Hill.
Other Interesting Features
Visitors enter the monument through a black wrought iron gate. The gate has a design that looks like an assegai (a type of spear).
After the gate, you will see a large circle of 64 ox-wagons made from decorative granite. This circle is called a laager. The same number of wagons were used to form a laager at the Battle of Blood River.
At the bottom of the monument, there is a bronze statue by Anton van Wouw. It shows a Voortrekker woman and her two children. This statue honours the strength and bravery of the Voortrekker women. On the walls near this statue, black wildebeest are carved. The wildebeest represent the dangers of Africa. Their symbolic flight means that the woman, who brought Western civilisation, was successful.
On each outside corner of the monument, there is a large statue. These statues represent important Voortrekker leaders: Piet Retief, Andries Pretorius, Hendrik Potgieter, and an "unknown" leader. This "unknown" leader stands for all the other Voortrekker leaders. Each statue weighs about 6 tons.
At the eastern corner of the monument, at the same level as the entrance, is the foundation stone. Under this stone, some important items are buried:
- A copy of the Trekker Vow from 16 December 1838.
- A copy of the anthem "Die Stem".
- A copy of the land deal between the Trekkers (led by Piet Retief) and the Zulus (led by King Dingane).
Monument Complex and Surroundings
Over the years, the area around the monument has grown. It now includes several other interesting places:
- An indigenous garden that surrounds the monument.
- Fort Schanskop, a nearby fort built in 1897. It was built by the government of the South African Republic after the Jameson Raid. Today, it is a museum and became part of the monument complex in June 2000.
- The Schanskop open-air amphitheatre. It has seats for 357 people and opened on 30 January 2001.
- A garden of remembrance.
- A nature reserve was created around the monument in 1992. It covers about 3.41 square kilometres. You can find animals like Zebras, Blesbok, Mountain Reedbuck, Springbok, Black Wildebeest, and Impala here.
- A Wall of Remembrance was built near the monument in 2009. It remembers members of the South African Defence Force (SADF) who died serving their country between 1961 and 1994.
- An Afrikaner heritage centre. This centre was built to help keep alive the history and culture of the Afrikaans-speaking people of South Africa. It also shows their contributions to the country's history.
Images for kids
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The cenotaph is the symbolic tomb of Piet Retief and his delegation.
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Looking from the sky dome downwards, 32 sun rays can be counted.
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Relief of an ox-wagon on the laager wall
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Looking upwards at mid noon on 16 December reveals a dot within a circle, an ancient African-Egyptian hieroglyph for the monotheistic creator god Aten
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Looking downwards from the dome
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The Wall of Remembrance dedicated to those who died while serving in the South African Defence Force (SADF).
See also
In Spanish: Monumento al voortrekker para niños
- Great Trek
- Völkerschlachtdenkmal
