Commemorating industrial ruins – the case for the Tswaing salt works

Abstract

The article investigates the cultural and industrial history of the Tswaing salt works which were established and operated for a period of 50 years at the Tswaing (seTswana for ‘place of salt’) meteorite crater 40km north of the Pretoria CBD. After the 1960s the industrial activities ceased and the site was abandoned, leading to decay and vandalism of the remaining buildings. Whereas the meteorite crater as a natural phenomenon remains a tourist attraction, the socio-cultural heritage of the industrial ruins has been neglected and the question is put whether these industrial ruins warrant commemoration in some way or another. The argument is made that to commemorate the Tswaing crater, commemorating the Tswaing salt works’ industrial ruined remains becomes a necessary complementary approach. Various memorialisation options are explored and illustrated with case studies; ranging from demolishing any remains of the industrial ruins and perhaps allowing only a palimpsest, to leaving the ruin to further decay, to a range of conservation interventions and to a restoration, alteration and re-use option. The potential value of partly restored, conserved or reused industrial ruins is discussed, i.e. ruins as nature reserves, heterotopias, tourist destinations, museums or places of recreation. The commemoration of these ruins however remains a disputed issue, with opinions ranging from removing all traces of industrial activities from the site of this natural phenomenon to recognising the importance of the socio-cultural influences on the natural environment and to allocating new values and uses to the now abandoned human activities, thus allowing the complete narrative.

Die artikel ondersoek die kulturele en industriële geskiedenis van die Tswaing soutwerke wat gevestig en bedryf was oor ʼn 50 jaar tydperk by die Tswaing (seTswana vir ‘plek van sout’) meteorietkrater 40km noord van die Pretoria SSG. Na die 1960s is die industriële bedrywighede gestaak en die terrein is verlate gelaat wat tot verval en vandalisme van die oorblywende geboue gelei het. Waar die meteorietkrater as ʼn natuurlike fenomeen steeds ʼn toeriste-aantreklikheid bly, is die sosiokulturele erfenis verwaarloos en die vraag word gevra of hierdie ruïnes herdenking in een of die ander vorm regverdig. Die argument word gevoer dat om die Tswaing meteorietkrater te herdenk, die herdenking van die soutwerke ʼn noodsaaklike komplementerende benadering word. Verskeie herdenkingsmoontlikhede word ondersoek en met voorbeelde illustreer; wat strek van die sloping van alle oorblywende ruïnes en moontlik slegs die behoud van ’n palimpses, tot die los van die ruïnes om verder te verval, tot ʼn reeks van bewaringsingrypings en tot die restourasie, verandering en hergebruikopsie. Die potensiële waarde van deels restoureerde, bewaarde of hergebruikte industriële ruïnes word bespreek, insluitend ruïnes as natuurbewareas, heterotopias, toeristebestemmings, museums of plekke van ontspanning. Die herdenking van die ruïnes bly egter ʼn omstrede saak, met opinies wat strek van die verwydering van alle spore van industriële aktiwiteite van die terrein van hierdie natuurlike fenomeen tot die erkenning van die belangrikheid van die sosio-kulturele invloede op die natuurlike omgewing en tot die toedeling van nuwe waardes en gebruike aan die tans verlate menslike aktiwiteite, om daardeur die volledige verhaal toe te laat.