in downtown Pretoria, South Africa, that afternoon, Tuesday (08/06/2010), could be examples of gardens bustling with visitors in winter.
No seat is empty. Who did not goto the bench pick sprawled on the grass or perched at the foot of the statue of Paul Kruger Stephanus Johannes, who had become president of South Africa for the region when it was called the Transvaal.
Interestingly, in plain view can be called 99 percent of visitors to the park's black citizens. While the big statue that stands in the middle of the garden is the embodiment of the man who, like the Boer generally-regarded black people are no better than animals.
In the book of Paul Kruger, who printed in 1900, Prescott Holmes describes how the Kruger insult against blacks. "They're not human, they are just creatures. They have no soul more than the monkeys, "he growled when reminded that blacks are the spiritual man as well as whites.
Condescending attitude like that does not hesitate to show when a missionary, Moffat, came to the farm. Moffat, who was asked to hold the family worship service, ask the host why the slaves who became housekeeper had not been consulted.
Kruger answer, "Go away to the mountains and call the baboon (monkeys of Africa and Asia are included in the family Cercopithecidae) if you want to create a congregation like that or wait, I've got. My children, call the dogs are sprawled in front of the door and they will come! "
Unlike the Boer War I, when the Boer War II broke out in 1899, Kruger negotiation skills are no longer magical. He exiled himself to Europe and after the move finally settled at Clarens, Switzerland, until his death in 1904. His name was immortalized in one street in the town of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
However, after 105 years appears the voices opposing the use of the name of Paul Kruger on the grounds that racist attitudes can not be tolerated. Mid-2009 was finally the city of St. Gallen officials decided to rename the street Krugerstrasse be Duerrenmattstrasse taken from an author's name as well as the Swiss playwright, Friedrich Duerrenmatt.
Told Reuters, Theo Buff, St. Gallen planning officials, claiming that the main pressure came from the left-wing groups and groups antirasis. The inauguration of this road name was even attended by South African diplomats.
Conversely, in the name of Paul Kruger of South Africa, better known by the nickname Kruger Oom-fixed enshrined. The name of the Kruger National Park which covers nearly 20,000 square kilometers, for example, taken from Oom Kruger, the president proclaimed the establishment of national parks. Likewise with the coin currency of South Africa, Krugerrand, still memampangkan face on one side. Pipe company is still giving the name of one product, "Oom Paul", which has a specific shape with a big bowl full of bends. (Kruger is known as a smoker without stopping).
On Church Street, Pretoria, home-first occupies with his wife, Maria du Plessis (died a few years after marriage) and his second wife, Gezina du Plessis-now a museum called The Kruger House. Almost nothing has changed on this Kruger Oom house if we compare with the photograph that was published by Holmes in his book.
Original form
The house with wide veranda and decorated with two lion statues that have a low fence, a very different view of the house in Pretoria in general are high fenced and barred the meeting, complete with alarms and surveillance cameras. Carpets, curtains, paper, and walls are all still retained in its original form.
In Pretoria, the home Oom Kruger was the first electrified. Likewise, when the incoming telephone lines in 1891, this house is also the first to enjoy it. In fact, the Anglo-Boer War, telegraph lines are also installed here.
Kruger's house can not be called profound. Both Uncle and Aunt Gezina Kruger (call to his wife) each have a living room. However, two workspaces Kruger fairly petite. One was even measuring approximately 2.5 x 2.5 meters.
Two bedrooms, except the master bedroom, measuring only about 2.5 meters x 3 meters. The couple, who had seven daughters and nine men, was just entering the Kruger House after most of the children married and left home.
Boer hero
In the eyes of the Boers (white Dutch or German descent, mostly as farmers in South Africa), Paul Kruger is a hero. It was he who negotiated with the British during the Boer War I and ended with the return of the independence of the Transvaal.
Kruger profile closely matches the general description of the Boer. Strong, tough, and knows no surrender. German immigrant grandfather from Berlin, the Jacobus Krueger, came to South Africa as a soldier of the VOC, the Dutch trading company.
Paul Kruger education was very limited. All his life he had studied for three months under the guidance of Tielman Roos. More life lessons drawn from the field. At 16, Uncle Kruger has been allowed to set the region that will be working on his own farm. He also chose the Magaliesberg area, while her father, Casper Kruger, the area now known as Rustenburg.
No wonder, with a mediocre education, he became the most adamant that "the earth is flat". It should be understandable also because throughout his life are read only one book, the Bible.
