National Archives of Namibia Findaid 2/120 Findaid 2/120 A.0002 Hendrik Witbooi Journal I (“The Hendrik Witbooi Diary”) 1884 - 1893 Compiled by Werner Hillebrecht September 2017 National Archives of Namibia Findaid 2/120: A.0002 Hendrik Witbooi Journal I Compiled by Werner Hillebrecht Windhoek, September 2017 © National Archives of Namibia Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA Republic of Namibia Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture National Archives of Namibia P/Bag 13250 Windhoek Namibia Tel. +264–61–2935211 (switchboard), 2935210 or 2935208 (reading room) Fax +264–61–2935207 [email protected] Portrait of Hendrik Witbooi by Theodor Rehbock, 1897 (NAN Photo 01405) ii Findaid 2/120 Introduction A.2 A.0002 Hendrik Witbooi Journal I Contents Introduction - p.3 Listing by page sequence - p.6 Listing sorted by sender/author and date - p.9 Listing sorted by addressee and date - p.12 Listing sorted by date - p.15 Introduction General This accession is one of several letter-copy books kept by Hendrik Witbooi as an administrative record since 1884. It became widely known as The diary of Hendrik Witbooi (Die dagboek van Hendrik Witbooi), although the book contains only three diary entries, while the rest consist of copies of the letters Witbooi sent and received. It covers items dated between 1882 and 1893. Two other Witbooi letter-copy books, and a fragment of a fourth one, are held by the National Archives, in Accession A.0650 (Bremen Papers) and AACLRS.115. Although the letters and the diary notes were certainly authored by Hendrik Witbooi, they were copied into the book by various scribes, among whom Petrus Jod and Samuel Izaak have been identified. Provenance The book was kept at the Witbooi settlement Hoornkrans and looted by German forces following their unprovoked attack on Hoornkrans, 12 April 1893, together with other papers which are apparently lost.1 It was taken by Major Curt von François, who eventually took it to Germany.2 It is still undocumented how the book found its way back to Namibia. Dewdney Drew apparently claims that in 1917 it was in possession of the Magistrate of Rehoboth, Mr Rossouw.3 It was obviously available to the compilers of the 1918 “Blue Book” who cited extensively from it.4 . In 1 See e.g. François, Hugo von (1895): Nama und Damara, p.227; Heidmann in NAN Accession A.786 Vedder Quellen, vol.22, pp.386-387, Robert McKimmie in NAN Accession A.0154 2 François, Hugo von (1895): Nama und Damara, p.227 3 Report of the Rehoboth Commission (1927), p.220 4 Report on the natives of South-West Africa and their treatment by Germany. CD.9146. 1918 3 Findaid 2/120 Introduction A.2 the 1920s it was kept by the Administration of South West Africa, although at times inaccessible.5 In early 1926, it was reported to have been temporarily issued to a certain Mr. Bruchhausen who had been tasked with editing a source publication of the book for the Van Riebeeck Society, which he did not finish. The book was eventually returned to the Administration by 1928 or earlier.6 In 1948 it was transferred to the Archives, where it remained ever since.7 The assertion that it was “found among the papers of the Magistrate of Walvis Bay”8 is not supported by other documentation. Description and preservation condition The accession consists of one leather-bound hardcover book, containing 366 numbered pages, and measuring 32.5 x 21 cm. It is an accounting ledger of pale blue-grey paper with blue lines and red columns. Only pages 12-23, 101-103, 110-120, and 128-291 are inscribed. The book had been bought from Barry Arnold & Co, Stationers, in Cape Town. While the paper is in good condition, the binding is dilapidated, presumably because of repeated photocopying. The leather cover is smudged, worn thin and damaged at some edges, but largely intact. Biographical notes Kaptein Hendrik Witbooi (!Nanseb ǀGâbemab, ca.1930 - 1905) was born in Pella, Cape Colony as grandson of Kaptein (gao-aob) Kido Witbooi, and son and successor of Kaptein Moses Witbooi. He was educated as teacher and lay preacher at Gibeon by the Rhenish missionary Johannes Olpp. He was installed a Kaptein of the ǀKhowesin (Witboois) after the death of his father in 1884. He resisted colonisation of Namibia by Germany with a diplomatic campaign against the signing of so-called protection treaties, and waged war against German Schutztruppe 1893-1894 after being attacked by C.v. François at his residence Hoornkrans. After a war against German forces under Theodor Leutwein, involving heavy losses on both sides, he was forced to conclude a “protection treaty” with Germany in 1894. He lived in Gibeon and Rietmond from 1894-1904, and repeatedly assisted the German colonial government in wars against other Namibian communities. After again declaring war against the German Government in October 1904, he was mortally wounded in a skirmish at Vaalgras on 29 October 1905. There are conflicting versions about his death date, either 29 October or 3 November 1905. Hendrik Witbooi’s contribution and leading role in the anti-colonial struggle is widely recognised, and honoured amongst other by his portrait on the Namibian Dollar banknotes. Bibliography The letters contained in this book have been repeatedly cited by various authors, starting with Hugo von François (1896). The entire text was published in the original Cape Dutch in 1929, and repeatedly in English and German translations, together with additional correspondence items found in other sources.9 These scholarly editions assist in working with the original text, although the translations are not always entirely reliable. 5 Hoernlé, Agnes Winifred (1987): Trails in the thirstland (Cape Town, 1987), diary entry of 21/23 March 1923 6 NAN: SWAA A50/71 7 NAN: SWAA A50/71 8 NAN: ARG [4] S.W.A.R. 5/5 9 For a full list of available editions and translations, consult the NAMLIT or ARCAT databases for the author “Witbooi, Hendrik, 1830-1905” 4 Findaid 2/120 Introduction A.2 The following books contain all letters in this Journal I, as well various additions from other sources: Witbooi, Hendrik (1929): Die dagboek van Hendrik Witbooi, Kaptein van die Witbooi-Hottentotte, 1884-1905, bewerk na die oorspronklike dokumente in die Regeringsargief, Windhoek. Cape Town: Van Riebeeck Society. (NAN: AA/1506) [Original Cape Dutch text] Witbooi, Hendrik (1982): Afrika den Afrikanern! Aufzeichnungen eines Nama-Häuptlings aus der Zeit der deutschen Eroberung Südwestafrikas 1884 bis 1894. Hrsg. von Wolfgang Reinhard. Berlin: Dietz. (NAN: AA/1552) Witbooi, Hendrik (1984): Nama/Namibia. Diary and letters of Nama Chief Hendrik Witbooi, 1884- 1894. Edited by Georg M. Gugelberger. Boston: Boston University African Studies Center. (NAN: AA/1505) Witbooi, Hendrik (1989): The Hendrik Witbooi Papers. Translated by Annemarie Heywood and Eben Maasdorp. Annotated by Brigitte Lau. Windhoek: National Archives. (NAN: AA/0982) Witbooi, Hendrik (1995): The Hendrik Witbooi Papers. Translated by Annemarie Heywood and Eben Maasdorp. Annotated by Brigitte Lau. 2nd enlarged edition. Windhoek: National Archives. (NAN: AA/0662) Additional information The “Hendrik Witbooi Papers” in the National Archioves of Namibia, consisting of this Accession A.2, Accession A.650, and Accession AACRLS.115 have been inscribed in UNESCO’s “Memory of the World Register”. Restrictions Since 1987, access to the original manuscript has been restricted for preservation reasons. Access to the original is only allowed upon a motivated written application, at the discretion of the Chief Archivist. Although a photocopy is also available for users, users are encouraged to consult the high-quality digitised version available on the Archives’ public server. Werner Hillebrecht, September 2017 5 Findaid 2/120 Listing by page sequence A.2 Listing by page sequence Pages Sender Addressee Title Date 12-19 Witbooi, Hendrik Diary entry 18 June 18840618 - 27 July 1884 19-20 Witbooi, Hendrik Witbooi, Moses 18850718 101-103 Rust, Friedrich Witbooi, Hendrik 18860519 110-118 Witbooi, Hendrik Diary entry 15 18881015 October 1888 – 10 August 1889 118 Witbooi, Hendrik Diergaard, Johannes 18910520 119 Witbooi, Hendrik Christian, Willem 18910520 119-120 Witbooi, Hendrik Maharero, Samuel 18910520 128-130 Witbooi, Hendrik Afrikaner, Jan Jonker 18890310 130 Witbooi, Hendrik Xau-Xab, Isaak 18890310 131-133 Witbooi, Hendrik Göring, Heinrich 18890322 133-134 Witbooi, Hendrik Afrikaner, Jan Jonker 18890322 134-135 Afrikaner, Jan Jonker Witbooi, Hendrik 18890320 135-137 Witbooi, Hendrik Göring, Heinrich 18890323 137 Witbooi, Hendrik Göring, Heinrich 18890411 138-139 Witbooi, Hendrik 18900509 140-142 Witbooi, Hendrik Göring, Heinrich 18900529 142 Witbooi, Hendrik Diary note 1.1.1889 18890101 143-148 Witbooi, Hendrik Van Wyk, Hermanus 18890609 149 Witbooi, Hendrik Maharero kaTjamuaha 18900105 150 Witbooi, Hendrik !Noreseb, Manasse 18900105 151-159 Witbooi, Hendrik Olpp, Johannes 18900103 160-165 Witbooi, Hendrik Maharero kaTjamuaha 18900530 165-168 Witbooi, Hendrik Memorandum: Het 18900627 begind van die Damara oorlog 169-170 Witbooi, Hendrik Hoornkrans Proclamation 18900727 Community 171-175 Witbooi, Hendrik Christian, Willem 18900801 175-177 Witbooi, Hendrik Lebe, Klaas 18900901 177-178 Witbooi, Hendrik Hoornkrans Proclamation 18910103 Community 179-180 Christian, Willem Witbooi, Hendrik 18891107 181 Izaak, Jakobus Witbooi, Hendrik 18900822 182 Witbooi, Hendrik Kleinschmidt, 18910605 Heinrich Meyer, Freerk 183-184 Witbooi, Hendrik Duncan, Robert 18910628 184-185 Witbooi, Hendrik Maharero, Samuel 18910520 185 Witbooi, Hendrik Maharero, Samuel 18910623 185-186 Witbooi, Hendrik Duncan, Robert 18910628 186 Witbooi, Hendrik Gibeon Community 18910628 6 Findaid 2/120 Listing by page sequence A.2 186-189 Witbooi, Hendrik Olpp, Johannes 18900103 190-191 Witbooi, Hendrik Maharero, Samuel 18910630 191-195 Witbooi, Hendrik Maharero, Samuel 18910731 195-196 Witbooi, Hendrik Van Wyk, Dirk 18910801 196 Witbooi, Hendrik Duncan, Robert 18910628 197 Maharero, Samuel Witbooi, Hendrik 18910620 197 Witbooi, Hendrik Robertson 18910711 198-199 Maharero, Samuel Witbooi, Hendrik 18910720 200 Witbooi, Hendrik Hutton, J.M.