Marburg, South Africa

Marburg is a settlement in the Ugu District Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, situated approximately 112 kilometres south-west of the city of Durban. Marburg was a Norwegian settlement given the name Marburg for a nearby German mission.[2] The Norwegian founders played a significant role in the development of Marburg and Port Shepstone, which it forms part of today. The British colonial government gave the settlers a free voyage to South Africa and also houses and 100 acres of land. Marburg was the only successful Scandinavian settlement in South Africa.[3]

Marburg
Marburg is located in KwaZulu-Natal
Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is located in South Africa
Marburg
Marburg
Coordinates: 30°43′S 30°23′E
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceKwaZulu-Natal
DistrictUgu
MunicipalityRay Nkonyeni
Main PlacePort Shepstone
Area
[1]
 • Total1.5 km2 (0.6 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total1,355
 • Density900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
 • Black African9.1%
 • Coloured3.4%
 • Indian/Asian87.0%
 • White0.1%
 • Other0.4%
First languages (2011)
[1]
 • English88.3%
 • Zulu6.1%
 • Xhosa2.0%
 • Afrikaans1.9%
 • Other1.7%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
PO box
4252

Marburg was established in 1882 by Norwegian immigrants and was likely named after Marburg, a city 74 km north of Frankfurt in Germany.[4]

History

Norwegian founding

The Land and Immigration Board contemplated bringing German settlers to the Marburg area in 1881, but met opposition from the German government. Consequentially, immigration agent Walter Peace suggested promoting settlement in Marburg by Norwegians. On July 20, 1882, the first Norwegians ventured aboard the steamship Lapland for their 39-day voyage from Hull, England to Mzimkulu near Port Shepstone, South Africa. Arriving in Africa on August 28, 1882, the Norwegians were brought ashore the following day.[5] The 246 Norwegians onboard Lapland were first and foremost fishermen, but slowly adjusted to the agrarian lifestyle at their 100-acre agricultural Marburg community.[6]

Many of the original 1882 founders later left Marburg, including ten families which left for Australia.[3] However, a number remained in South Africa though not all remained in Marburg. A number joined the Norwegian community in Durban, while others went to Johannesburg and other parts near Alfred County.[7]

Emigration to South Africa from Norway in 1876-85 was dominated by emigrants from Romsdal, and more specifically, from Sunnmøre.[8] Marburg's founders were first and foremost from Ålesund in Sunnmøre.[9]

When Marburg settlers celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1932, there were twenty Norwegian families left in town. 84 original settlers were still alive, and the Norwegian community had produced 208 children, 425 grandchildren, and 130 great-grandchildren.[10]

Apartheid era

In 1950, the Group Areas Act. racially divided Port Shepstone similar to many other towns and cities in South Africa in which Marburg was classified as the "Indian area" of Port Shepstone. Marburg was one of the four Indian proclaimed townships in the KwaZulu-Natal province and its neighbouring suburb of Merlewood to the west was classified as the "Coloured area" of Port Shepstone.

Geography

Marburg lies in a hilly area approximately 3 kilometres west of Port Shepstone Central or central business district (CBD) and is bounded by the N2 freeway to the east. Marburg is situated among the suburbs of Merlewood, Grosvenor, Umbango, Protea Park and Albersville.

Industries

As the largest industrial centre along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, Marburg has a substantial auto sales and repair industry and has a number of small industries that service the Lower South Coast. Moreover, it is also home to a number of hardware stores and warehouses spanning across the industrial area.[11]

Transport

Marburg lies at the meeting point of three major routes (N2, R61 and R102) known as the Marburg Interchange. The N2 is a national route that runs roughly N to S from Durban to Marburg and is tolled at the Oribi Toll Plaza before diverging to the west towards Kokstad. The R102 is the older section of the N2, now serving as the untolled alternative route to the current N2 and connects Marburg with Port Shepstone Central and the coastal towns of Melville and Hibberdene to the north as Harding Road and Marine Drive. The R61 is a provincial route connecting Marburg with Margate and Port Edward and is also tolled at the Oribi Toll Plaza.

Smaller routes in Marburg include: Main Harding Road (one of the older sections of the N2) connects Marburg with Port Shepstone Central to the east. Izotsha Road connects Marburg with Izotsha and Gamalakhe to the south. Oscar Borcherds Road connects Marburg with Protea Park and the Umzimkhulu Sugar Mill to the north.

References
  1. "Sub Place Marburg". Census 2011.
  2. Lund, Fredrik Larsen (2017). Norske utposter. Vega forlag. Page 336. ISBN 978-82-8211-537-7.
  3. Kuparinen, Eero (1991). An African alternative: Nordic migration to South Africa 1815-1914. Institute of Migration. Page 112. ISBN 978-9518915457.
  4. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names (Public Domain)". Human Science Research Council. p. 298.
  5. Du Bois, Duncan L. (2015). Sugar and Settlers: A history of the Natal South Coast, 1850-1910. African Sun Media. Page 181. ISBN 9781920382704.
  6. Gauld, Shelley Wood (2012). Much Bigger than Grownups: Chronicles of a Native South African. Lulu Publishing, Inc. Page 79. ISBN 9781300061700.
  7. Winquist, Alan H. (1978). Scandinavians and South Africa: Their Impact on the Cultural, Social and Economic Development of Pre-1902 South Africa. A. A. Balkema. Page 104. ISBN 9780869610961.
  8. Kuparinen, Eero (1991). An African alternative: Nordic migration to South Africa, 1815-1914, Volume 951. Finnish Historical Society. Page 129. ISBN 9789518915457.
  9. Austigard, Bjørn and Nils Parelius (1994). Romsdal Sogelag Årsskrift 1994. Romsdal Sogelag. Page 9. ISBN 9788290169454.
  10. Lund, Fredrik Larsen (2017). Norske utposter. Vega forlag. Page 349. ISBN 978-82-8211-537-7.
  11. "Marburg, KwaZulu-Natal - A Coastal Hub of Auto Services » SABD - The South African Business Directory". SABD - The South African Business Directory. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.