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.
