Rederijkerskamers - Revision history

Satj: /* Impact on South African theatre */

2026-05-12T10:41:29Z

Impact on South African theatre

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2021-03-21T03:41:21Z

Key groups

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Key groups

Satj: /* Origins */

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Origins

Satj at 03:34, 21 March 2021

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Satj at 03:33, 21 March 2021

2021-03-21T03:33:18Z

Satj: /* Key groups */

2021-03-20T04:02:07Z

Key groups

Satj: /* Impact on South African theatre */

2021-03-20T03:59:52Z

Impact on South African theatre

Satj: /* Key groups */

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Key groups

Satj at 03:53, 20 March 2021

2021-03-20T03:53:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:41, 12 May 2026
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	They had an enormous impact on [[Dutch]] - and consequently on [[Cape Dutch]] and ultimately [[Afrikaans]] - literature and theatre. They were a fundamental element in the evolution of the influential [[Afrikaans]] [[Amateur\|amateur theatre]] movement in the country, while some [[Professional\|semi-professional]] writers (e.g. [[Melt Brink]]) and performers had their first exposure to theatre in the cultural evenings presented by these groups.		They had an enormous impact on [[Dutch]] - and consequently on [[Cape Dutch]] and ultimately [[Afrikaans]] - literature and theatre. They were a fundamental element in the evolution of the influential [[Afrikaans]] [[Amateur\|amateur theatre]] movement in the country, while some [[Professional\|semi-professional]] writers (e.g. [[Melt Brink]]) and performers had their first exposure to theatre in the cultural evenings presented by these groups.
		+
		+	In the spirit of the movement, the town of George on the Garden Route boasted an [[Afrikaans]] amateur theatre company known as '''[[Die Rederykers]]''' in the 1970s and 1980s. (See the entry.)

	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

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 In the north of the country another [[Rederijkerskamer]] of note was [[Onze Taal]], founded in Pretoria in 1890 and active till 1912.
-Other groups of a similar nature, though not necessarily calling themselves [[Rederijkerskamers]] were: [[Tot Nut en Vermaak]] (1842 - 1847), [[De Eendracht]] (1877-1883), [[Oefening Baart Kunst]]
+Other groups of a similar nature, though not necessarily calling themselves [[Rederijkerskamers]] were: [[Tot Nut en Vermaak]] (1842 - 1847), [[De Eendracht]] (1877-1883), [[Oefening Baart Kunst]] (1891–1899).
 === Impact on South African theatre ===

@@ Line 34: / Line 34: @@
 In the north of the country another [[Rederijkerskamer]] of note was [[Onze Taal]], founded in Pretoria in 1890 and active till 1912.
-Other groups of a similar nature, though not necessarily calling themselves [[Rederijkerskamers]] were: [[Tot Nut en Vermaak]] (1842 - 1847), [[De Eendracht]] (), [[Oefening Baart Kunst]]
+Other groups of a similar nature, though not necessarily calling themselves [[Rederijkerskamers]] were: [[Tot Nut en Vermaak]] (1842 - 1847), [[De Eendracht]] (1877-1883), [[Oefening Baart Kunst]]
 === Impact on South African theatre ===

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 By the mid 19th century (in 1856) the societies appeared to be flourishing and the ''Nederlandsche Rederijkers Verbond'' ("Society of Redrijkerskamers"), to which the majority of such and related societies devoted to rhetoric and poetry were affiliated, lists the names over 200 new members!
-The Rederijkerkamers or Guilds are a phenomenon of the 16th century Holland, which lasted till well into the 19th century, leading to the establishment of professional theatre in that country. They were closely allied to the church and travelled the country to perform in all the main towns and at fairs. Their repertoire was wide and included everything from morality and allegorical plays, to farce and classical tragedy. While their initial audiences were rough working class people who favoured broad farce and folk theatre, they gradually evolved a more sophisticated audience in the 18th century, which preferred tragedy. Surprisingly the Rederijkers did not appaer to have any marked effect on theatre and entrertainment in the Cape colony during the Dutch Occupation (except for conjectural performances in the Barracks - largely of the farcical kind). But during the 19th century under British rule, the rederijker concept appeared to take hold in the form of a number of amateur cultural and educational societies which had a hufe impact on South African theatre. Among the more prominent were ** Tot Nut en Vermaak (1842 - 1847), and **. (TH) (See: Bosman, 1980 and Fletcher, 1994)
+The Rederijkerkamers or Guilds are a phenomenon of the 16th century Holland, which lasted till well into the 19th century, leading to the establishment of professional theatre in that country. They were closely allied to the church and travelled the country to perform in all the main towns and at fairs. Their repertoire was wide and included everything from morality and allegorical plays, to farce and classical tragedy. While their initial audiences were rough working class people who favoured broad farce and folk theatre, they gradually evolved a more sophisticated audience in the 18th century, which preferred tragedy. Surprisingly the Rederijkers did not appaer to have any marked effect on theatre and entrertainment in the Cape colony during the Dutch Occupation (except for conjectural performances in the Barracks - largely of the farcical kind). But during the 19th century under British rule, the rederijker concept appeared to take hold in the form of a number of amateur cultural and educational societies which had a hufe impact on South African theatre. Among the more prominent were ** Tot Nut en Vermaak (1842 - 1847), and **. (TH)
 == Rederijkers in South Africa ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:34, 21 March 2021
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−	[[Rederijkerskamers]] (Lit: "'''chambers of ~~[[Rhetoric\|~~rhetoric]]'''")[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_of_rhetoric], also spelled '''[[Rederykerskamers]]''' in [[Afrikaans]], are [[Dutch]] cultural societies which played an important role in [[Dutch]] and [[Afrikaans]] theatre in the 19th century.	+	[[Rederijkerskamers]] (Lit: "'''[[chambers of rhetoric]]'''")[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_of_rhetoric], also spelled '''[[Rederykerskamers]]''' in [[Afrikaans]], are [[Dutch]] cultural societies which played an important role in [[Dutch]] and [[Afrikaans]] theatre in the 19th century.

	Sometimes simply referred to as [[Rederijkers]].		Sometimes simply referred to as [[Rederijkers]].

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-[[Rederijkerskamers]] (Lit: "'''chambers of [[Rhetoric|rhetoric]]'''"), also spelled '''[[Rederykerskamers]]''' in [[Afrikaans]], are [[Dutch]] cultural societies which played an important role in [[Dutch]] and [[Afrikaans]] theatre in the 19th century.
+[[Rederijkerskamers]] (Lit: "'''chambers of [[Rhetoric|rhetoric]]'''")[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_of_rhetoric], also spelled '''[[Rederykerskamers]]''' in [[Afrikaans]], are [[Dutch]] cultural societies which played an important role in [[Dutch]] and [[Afrikaans]] theatre in the 19th century.
 Sometimes simply referred to as [[Rederijkers]].
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 == Sources ==
 [[Ludwig Wilhelm  Berthold Binge]]. 1969. ''Ontwikkeling van die Afrikaanse toneel (1832-1950)''. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.

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-The first formal South African [[Rederijkerskamer]] was [[Thespis]], founded in Paarl in 1857 by ***. A second, very famous one was [[Aurora]], founded in Paarl in 1862, which appears to have gone through a number of phases and - though initalliy shortlived - eventually survived into the twentieth century. Revived as [[Aurora II]] in 1866 in Cape Town, it owed much of its success to the active participation of the prolific playwrights [[Melt Brink]] and [[H.W. Teengs]]. After its collapse in 1887, it was once more revived by Brink as [[Aurora III]] in 1909 and existed till 1914.  Another [[Rederijkerskamer]] of note was [[Onze Taal]], founded in Pretoria in 1890 and active till 1912. [[Tot Nut en Vermaak]] (1842 - 1847),
+The first formal South African [[Rederijkerskamer]] was [[Thespis]], founded in Paarl in 1857 by ***.
-Other groups of a similar nature, though not necessarily calling themselves [[Rederijkerskamers]] were:
+A second, very famous one was [[Aurora]], founded in Paarl in 1862, which appears to have gone through a number of phases and - though initalliy shortlived - eventually survived into the twentieth century. Revived as [[Aurora II]] in 1866 in Cape Town, it owed much of its success to the active participation of the prolific playwrights [[Melt Brink]] and [[H.W. Teengs]]. After its collapse in 1887, it was once more revived by Brink as [[Aurora III]] in 1909 and existed till 1914.
 === Impact on South African theatre ===

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:59, 20 March 2021
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−	They had an enormous impact on Dutch - and consequently on Cape Dutch and ultimately Afrikaans - literature and theatre. They ~~formed the basis of~~ the evolution of the influential Afrikaans [[Amateur\|amateur theatre]] movement in the country, while some [[Professional\|semi-professional]] writers (e.g. [[Melt Brink]]) and performers had their first exposure to theatre in the cultural evenings presented by these groups.	+	They had an enormous impact on [[Dutch]] - and consequently on [[Cape Dutch]] and ultimately [[Afrikaans]] - literature and theatre. They were a fundamental element in the evolution of the influential [[Afrikaans]] [[Amateur\|amateur theatre]] movement in the country, while some [[Professional\|semi-professional]] writers (e.g. [[Melt Brink]]) and performers had their first exposure to theatre in the cultural evenings presented by these groups.
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	== Sources ==		== Sources ==

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 == Sources ==
-Bosman, 1928 and 1980; Binge, 1969; Fletcher, 1994
+[[Ludwig Wilhelm  Berthold Binge]]. 1969. ''Ontwikkeling van die Afrikaanse toneel (1832-1950)''. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.
-== For more information ==
+[[F.C.L. Bosman]], 1980. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916''. Pretoria: [[J.L. van Schaik]]: pp. 13, 42, 453
-See entries on individual companies and the entry on Dutch Theatre in South Africa.
+[[P.J. du Toit]], 1988. ''Amateurtoneel in Suid-Afrika''. Pretoria: Academica
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