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History of the VOC Foundation

With the change of government in South Africa in 1994, Paul Grobbelaar, the CEO of the Castle of Good Hope and also director of the William Fehr collection preserved in the Castle, together with Dirk Bins, the Dutch consul-general in Cape Town, considered establishing a voluntary, non-profit conservation group, similar to existing groups in the Netherlands, which could serve as the ‘Memory of the VOC’ in South Africa. Conservation, Education and Cultural Tourism would be the only objectives. They recruited members among academics studying aspects of the VOC era, VOC enthusiasts and conservationists, professional as well as amateur. The first meeting to launch the project was held in 1995 in the restaurant De Vijf Vliegen in Keerom Street. Initially there were about twenty founding members, including Dr Karl Koperski and Lungile Gadezweni, educators at the Castle, the architects Gawie and Gwen Fagan, George Hofmeyr, director of the Council for National Monuments, as well as Hannatjie du Preez and Joanna Marx of the same Council, Anton Roux, Director of the SA Cultural History Museum and his wife Alta, Dr Con de Wet, Head of the Cape Archives Repository, Dr Helena Scheffler, cultural historian, Dr Dan Sleigh, historian, Dr Hans Fransen, art historian, Natie Greeff, head of the Military Museum. VOC enthusiasts with an Indonesian background, such as Dr Han Mets. Dr. Kay de Villiers of the Medical Museum Governing Body, Mrs. Wilma Malherbe, chairperson of the National Monuments Council’s Western Cape committee and her husband, Dr Fana Malherbe, the numismatist, Major Tony Gordon of the Military History Society and the genealogist Mansell Upham joined later.

The founding meeting was in the Castle on 16 September 1995, exactly two centuries after the VOC flag over the Castle was replaced by a British flag. The Foundation was immediately registered as a conservation body with the City of Cape Town, Heritage Western Cape and SAHRA. The VOC logo is registered in our name with the Bureau of Trademarks. The design of a VOC logo surrounded by a protea wreath was created by the artist Hannes Beukes of the Military Museum. This logo was in use until 2024, when it was replaced by our new logo.

The Foundation then met regularly in the Castle and the number of members grew over time. Paul Grobbelaar was the first chairman and the historian Dr Jan Visagie of SU the vice-chairman. Dr. Dan Sleigh was the first secretary. Prof. Wium van Zyl was in charge of tours from the start. Jan Visagie followed Paul Grobbelaar as chairman, and the cultural historian Dr Helena Scheffler was vice-chairman. Jan Visagie was succeeded by Piet Westra, director of the South African Library. Dr. Scheffler remained vice-chairman. After Piet Westra, the historian prof. Leon Hattingh became chairman in 2016. Dr. Scheffler resigned as vice-chairman in 2020, and from then on the portfolio was vacant. When our Dutch sister association Caemer die Haghe toured South Africa in 2008 they donated a ribbon and medallion depicting Johan van Oldenbarneveld, ‘father of the VOC’, for use by our chairpersons.

The Foundation’s first major project was the exhibition, ‘VOC en route’, which was arranged to coincide with the visit to South Africa by HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. It was opened on 9 October 1996 by His Excellency Mr Herman Froger, the Dutch Ambassador in the Grain Shed Annex of the Castle. Rare VOC artefacts, several of which were seen in public for the first time, were on display, such as ships timbers from the so-called Civic Center Wreck, which was found in the 1970s during the construction of the Civic Center in the reclaimed Foreshore. The convener of the organising committee for the project was Dr Helena Scheffler. (See all our projects here)

The Foundation met for many years in the lecture room in the basement of the Sekundeshuis in the Castle, but eventually moved to the Huis der Nederlanden (now SASNEV) in Pinelands. SASNEV also became the Foundation’s official domicile. A lecture on a VOC topic was presented every quarter, which was enthusiastically attended. In 2007, for example, one topic was discussed with different speakers, dedicated to the fall of Governor WA van der Stel’s government in 1707, followed by a visit to his farm, Vergelegen. The COVID epidemic put a temporary end to public lectures in 2020, but they have since resumed and are also accessible online.

The Foundation’s silver medal for outstanding service to the memory of the VOC, with an image of the return ship Prince Willem, was awarded for the first time to master ship model builder, Robert Lightley, for his models of VOC ships that can be seen in maritime museums worldwide. The function was presented at the South African Maritime Museum in the Waterfront and the Mayor of Cape Town, Councilor Gerald Morkel, presented the award. The stamp of the medal is preserved by the Pagliari Company.

As part of the educational program, excursions were undertaken to places of VOC interest in and around the Cape Peninsula, such as to the former outstations Robben Island, ‘t Nieuwland and Simons Baaij, or three-day tours to the former outstations of the West Coast, Overberg or Southern Cape, as far as Mossel Bay, ‘t Houteniquasland and Plettenbergs Bay. The organisation of the tours was done competently by Professor Wium van Zyl, Dr Helena Scheffler and Dr Dan Sleigh.

A quarterly newsletter called Generale Missive is sent to members with information and news on VOC matters. Dr. Dan Sleigh was the editor from the beginning until his passing in 2023. Originally it was typed, photocopied and mailed to the members in stamped envelopes. Now it is sent electronically. Previous issues of the Generale Missive can be read here.

Because the Iziko Slave Lodge Museum in Cape Town abused, in the Foundation’s opinion, a precious Robert Lightley model of the VOC yacht, Goede Hoop (a true work of art, made of pear wood) in an exhibition on slavery, the Foundation decided in 2013 to have a model of the slave ship, Meermin, built and donated it on loan to the Iziko Slave Lodge Museum. The model was built by Brian Donelly of Plumstead, from a building plan obtained from the Dutch National Archives in The Hague by chairman Piet Westra. The project was funded by the Van Ewijck Foundation and donations by our members. The glass case was donated by the Cape Town Heritage Foundation (previously known as the Simon van der Stel Foundation). A monetary donation in 2019 enabled us to create a special fund for future projects. It’s called the Han Mets Preservation Fund, after the donor. Dr. Nico Walters designed and operated the Foundation’s first electronic website; it was significantly expanded in 2020 by committee member Jaco du Plessis. This website is new, since 2024. Enquiries on a variety of VOC topics have been received over the years from around the world and answered as well as possible.

The Foundation consists of a young committee who devote themselves to the various tasks with enthusiasm and energy. Next year, 2025 is a significant year when the Foundation will be 30 years in existence.