Willem Jacobus Viljoen

Willem Jacobus Viljoen (1869-1929) was an academic, theatre director and playwright.

Biography

Born Willem Jacobus Viljoen in South Africa he studied in the Netherlands and returned to become a professor of modern languages and history at the University of Stellenbosch.

Viljoen was heavily involved in cultural matters and a staunch supporter of Dutch as the national language, and in this respect he was a member of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Taalbond (founded in 1890), and founded both the popular society Ons Spreekuur ("Our Discussion Hour") and the Unie-debatsvereniging ("Union Debating Society"), to promote Dutch in the face of the Afrikaans language movement during the Tweede Taalbeweging ("Second language movement").

This society produced a large number of plays over the years and launched many careers.

In support of his campaign for Dutch, also wrote plays in what was termed Vereenvoudigde Hollands including Koppigheid, Achter de Schermen. The works were later usually adapted to Afrikaans for performance.

[TH, JH]

Sources

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [1]: p. 6.

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 15, 24, 42, 479, 481

Ludwig Wilhelm Berthold Binge. 1969. Ontwikkeling van die Afrikaanse toneel (1832-1950). Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 14, 53, 108-9, 190, 229, 238.

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