The Women’s Monument and memorial complexity in the context of political change: from memorial exclusivity to monument(al) inclusivity

Abstract

The Women’s Monument that was erected in Bloemfontein during 1913 fulfilled a strong urge by prominent Afrikaner leaders, such as President Steyn, to commemorate the sacrifices made by women and children during the Anglo Boer War of 1899–1902. However, the Women’s memorial focus to commemorate women was soon used as a platform to promote nationalistic agendas. Over the decades various additions have been made to the site that transformed the exclusive women’s memorial into an inclusive monument serving a broader agenda. In the post-1994 post-colonial epoch within a broad democratic arrangement the monument is undergoing further changes steering it even further away from its original focus. In addition the new democratic era has ushered in a broad comprehensive all-inclusiveness that has a further impact on the layout of the site and the memorial/ museum. The purpose of this article was to examine the shift from memorial exclusiveness to an allinclusive monument.

Die Vroue-monument wat in 1913 in Bloemfontein opgerig is het ’n sterk behoefte van prominente Afrikaner leiers soos President Steyn vervul om die opofferinge wat deur vroue en kinders gedurende die Anglo-Boere-Oorlog van 1899–1902 gemaak is op ‘n waardige wyse te gedenk. Die Vrouemonument is egter spoedig ná die inhuldiging as ‘n platform gebruik om ’n nasionalisitiese politieke agenda te dien. Die oorspronklike agenda en fokus om vroue en kinders te eer is deur `n breër aanslag vervang met byvoegings aan die terrein. Dit was duidelik dat die oorspronklike fokus om uitsluitlik `n vroue gedenkarea te wees geleidelik aangepas is om ‘n alles-insluitende monument wat `n breë agenda dien, te wees. In die postkoloniale era na 1994 en in die breër demokratiese opset is die monument besig om nog verdere veranderinge te ondergaan, wat dit verder van die oorspronklike fokus wegneem. Die nuwe demokratiese era het `n breë allesomvattende en allesinsluitende invloed op die terrein gehad en die monument/museum se huidige status dui eerder op inklusiwiteit as eksklusiwiteit. Die oogmerk van die artikel is om die skuif om spesifiek vroue en kinders te gedenk na `n alles-insluitende monument te ondersoek.