D.F. Malherbe

D.F. Malherbe (1881-1969) was a novelist, poet, playwright, translator, fiery activist for Afrikaans and first professor of Afrikaans in South Africa.

Biography

Born Daniël François Malherbe in in Dal Josafat in the Cape Colony, the son of P.J. Malherbe, one of the founding members of the Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners. After completing his schooling at the Gedenkschool der Hugenoten on Kleinbosch in Daljosafat and the Hoër Jongenskool in Wellington, he went on to study at the Victoria College in Stellenbosch and the University of the Cape of Good Hope, before going on to do post graduate work at the universities of Halle and Freiburg in Germany, obtaining a doctorate with a thesis on Das Fremdword im Reformationszeitalter in 1905.

He returned to South Africa to become a lecturer at the Hugenote-Seminarie op Wellington, .

In 1907 he became a member of Die Afrikaanse Taalvereniging (ATV)in Cape Town and helped with the expansion of the language society in the Cape Colony.

Appointed as professor in modern languages at the Grey-Universiteitskollege (Grey University College) in Bloemfontein at the request of Gen. J.B.M. Hertzog[1] on 7 February, 1910, he becomes the first professor in Afrikaans language and literature in South Africa in 1912. He later Malherbe served as Rector of the Grey-Universiteitskollege (1929 to 1934 and again in 1941).

He was a member of the Bloemfontein branch of the society Onze Taal from 1910 onwards and as an academic became very active as a leading champion for the Afrikaans language. Besides being one of the advisors to the translators of the Bible and the Dutch hymns, he collated numerous lists of Afrikaans words, proverbs, and similar material. He edited of the journal Die Tydskrif vir Wetenskap en Kuns and was a co-author of the authoritative Afrikaanse Woordelys en Spelreëls ("Afrikaans word-list and spelling rules"), both published by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, of which he was a member.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

As playwright, he wrote 19 plays between 1921 and 1959, some of them adaptations of his novels. He wrote many of the works for performance by the students of the GUK Dramatic Society, the dramatic society at the Grey-Universiteitskollege, of which he was a patron. Such works were often performed nationally, taken on tour to promote the Afrikaans language and culture.

Malherbe took part in a number of these tours, even acting in some plays and/or directing them (e.g. the production of Meester in 1929, which he both acted in and directed).

Malherbe's full-length dramatic works include Koringboere (1921), Die Blom van Orleans (1922), Die Mense van Groenkloof (1924), Meester (1927), Op die Trekpad (1931), Amrach die Tollenaar (1935), Drakenstein (1939, 1943), Dala (1943), Demetrios (1943), Moeder en Seun (1945), and Abimelech (1948).

Among his many one act plays, are Die Aandblom van Witsenberg (1943), Macherus, Krom stompe, Vader se Naam, Die Aanbod, Staf of Kroon, Fariseër, Hulle het ’n Boom Afgekap , Goue Appels, Spel van Blank en Swart, Sisera, Van Mense en Gode, In die Namib, Die Uur van die Rooi Maan, Silo is Krank and Fariseër (sometimes found as Die Fariseër).

He adapted a number of his own novels for the stage, including Die Skeur van Vaalspruit (as Boeta van Skeurfontein), Hans-die-Skipper (as Die Seeman or Hans die Skipper) and Die Meulenaar (as Die Meul Dreun).

He wrote the Prologue to W.J.B. Pienaar's historical play Die Geheime Bloemfontein-Konferensie tussen President Kruger en Sir Alfred Milner 31 Mei-6 Junie 1899 (published 1938, accredited to both Pienaar and Malherbe).

In addition to his original works, he translated a number of standard works, including William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (as Die Koopman van Venesië, 19**), Emile Augier and Jules Sandeau's Le Gendre de M. Poirier (as Die Skoonseun van Mnr. Poirier), and Friedrich Schiller's Wilhelm Tell (1944).

Many of his plays appeared in collections such as Die Meul Dreun en Ander Toneelwerk, (1943), Die Uur van die Rooi Maan en Ander Eenbedrywe (1950), Silo is Krank (1956), Hulle het ’n Boom Afgekap en Goue Appels (1956), [TH, JH]