Philippolis

Province

Philippolis is a place in South Africa's Free State Province. It is located in the municipality in the district Kopanong Xhariep. He is the first European-founded settlement in present-day Free State.

Geography

Philippolis has 3,648 inhabitants ( 2011). In the vicinity of the site the townships Poding Tse Rolo, Bergmanshoogte and Rowelsfontein lie. The place is located about 160 km south-southwest of Bloemfontein. Around 20 Kilometeter flows southwest of Orange.

History

The town was founded in 1822 or 1823, making it the second oldest after Griekwastad European-founded city of southern Africa north of the Orange. He served as a mission station of the London Missionary Society, after which Superintendent John Philip, the town was named. 1826 reached Griqua under Adam Kok II the place and settled there. They pledged by contract to protect the missionaries. 1833 were three French missionaries of the Paris Evangelical Mission Society at the site, including Eugène Casalis. When they learned that the leader of the Basotho, Moshoeshoe I, missionaries sought, they settled in his sphere of influence. 1862 sold the Griqua their country the Boers and moved the Griqua under Adam Kok III. further to Griqualand East. The missionaries left the place. The Church of the Griqua was replaced by a new building of the Dutch Reformed Church in the same place. In 1905 the British woman Emily Hobhouse in Philippolis, the first of 27 spinning and Webwerkstätten in to help after the Second Boer War Boer distressed women.

Economy and Transport

In addition to tourism include sheep farming and horse breeding to major acquisition branches.

Philippolis is situated on the R717 between Colesberg and Tromp castle. North of the village lies the airfield Philippolis Aerodrome. About 15 kilometers east was on the branch line Springfontein Koffiefontein - the Philippolis Road Train Station. However, the railway line is out of service.

Attractions

Ín Philippolis There are many national monuments. In Transgariep Museum the life of the Griqua and the history of the mission are presented. In addition, there may be seen the spinning and weaving workshop of Emily Hobhouse. The town has the Built in 1843, alleged home of Adam Kok III and the 1871 finished church building of the Dutch Reformed Church. At the writer Laurens van der Post, the van der Post House recalls with a built up in 1998 Memorial Garden.

Every April is the Witblits instead Festival, in which an alcoholic drink called Witblits ( German: " White Lightning " ) is produced.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Laurens van der Post (1906-1996), South African writer