P.J. (Piet) van der Merwe en D.J. (Dirk) Kotzé aan die stuur by Stellenbosch, 1959-1977 : goue jare of verspeelde geleenthede?

Abstract

Hierdie artikel fokus op die periode 1959 tot 1977, maar gee ook aandag aan die voorafgaande en daaropvolgende jare wanneer nodig. Dit benut die herinneringe van kollegas en studente van P.J. van der Merwe en D.J. Kotzé saam met ander bronne. Die Departement Geskiedenis aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch het in hierdie tydperk skerp kontraste tussen uitstaande prestasies en betekenisvolle tekortkominge vertoon. Die meriete van Van der Merwe en Kotzé se publikasies is byvoorbeeld wyd deur eweknieë in dié tyd erken. Die tesisse van nagraadse studente was ook van merkbare hoë gehalte. Onderrig aan derdejaars- en honneursstudente was egter van gemengde gehalte. Studente van die laatvyftiger- en die sestigerjare was veral skerp krities teenoor Van der Merwe in hierdie verband. Die swak punt in hierdie tydperk was die outokratiese bestuurstyl en gebrek aan akademiese interaksie tussen kollegas in die departement en met ander Geskiedenisdepartemente. Ten spyte van hierdie tekortkominge het studente en dosente van hierdie periode nogtans daarin geslaag om hulleself in mededingende posisies tussen mede-historici in Suid-Afrika te vestig – in ʼn groter mate as in enige ander vergelykbare tydperk in die geskiedenis van die departement. Dit demonstreer in sekere opsigte die positiewe invloed van dié tydperk.

ENGLISH: This article focuses on the period 1959 to 1977, but also brings into play the years prior to and afterwards when necessary. It utilizes the reminiscences of colleagues and students of P.J. van der Merwe and D.J. Kotzé together with other sources. During this period the department manifested sharp contrasts between outstanding achievements and significant shortcomings. The merit of Van der Merwe and Kotzé’s publications was, for example, widely acknowledged by peers at the time. The theses of postgraduate students were notably of a markedly high quality as well. The teaching to third year and honours students was, however, more of a mixed bag. Students of the late fifties and sixties sharply criticized Van der Merwe in this regard. The weak link of this period was the autocratic style of governance and lack of academic interaction between colleagues within the department and with other departments of History. Despite these shortcomings, students and lecturers of this period nevertheless managed to establish themselves in competitive positions amongst fellow historians in South Africa – to a larger degree than in any other comparable period in the history of the department. This demonstrates the positive influence of this period to a certain extent.