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Genadendal's proud library history
The South African Public Library, today known as the National Library of South Africa, situated in central Cape Town, was the first library to be established in South Africa. This was done by a government proclamation on 20 March 1818. Only seven years later, in 1825, Genadendal opened their first lending library. The missionary Hans Peter Hallbeck wrote in that year: “I am contriving to fit a room for a library, which I consider a necessary appendage to our school and church here at Genadendal. I know it would be a gratification to many a traveller, and make no doubt but what we should obtain contributions in books, etcetera towards it. If you therefore, or any of your friends, could spare us any old or new books fit for our library, I should feel much obliged to you “.
Many responded and hundreds of books were sent from Holland, England and Germany. The Genadendallers became keen users as the report from Periodical Accounts (1838) stated: “Our library is in a brisk circulation, so that we have not one volume on hand, for as soon as one is brought in, it is immediately issued to fresh applicants.
The Cape of Good Hope Literary Gazette made the following statement in their issue of September 1832: ”… the respectable collection of books in various languages is the best country library, perhaps that may be in the colony”.
Through years of searching, the Curator identified and collected many of these books from Genadendal homes, storerooms and attics. These form today an integral part of the declared cultural treasure at Genadendal and can be seen on display in the Printing Museum. The oldest books in the collection are two Bibles - printed 1629 in Germany and a Dutch Bible of 1682, donated to the library by a friend on the Isle of Wight. ''So shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void...'' (Isaiah 55:11)
- By Genadendal Mission Museum
