Castle of Good Hope

History

Inside, the fortress housed a church, bakery, various workshops, living quarters, shops and cells, among other facilities. The yellow paint on the walls was originally chosen because it lessened the effect of heat and the scorching sun. A wall, built in order to protect citizens in case of an attack, divides the inner courtyard which also houses the well-known De Kat Balcony which was designed by Louis Michel Thibault with reliefs and sculptures by Anton Anreith. The original was built in 1695, but rebuilt in its current form between 1786 and 1790. From the balcony, announcements were made to soldiers, slaves and burghers of the Cape. The balcony leads to the William Fehr collection of paintings and antique furniture.

During the Second Boer War (1899-1902), the castle was used partially as a prison and the former cells remain to this day. Fritz Joubert Duquesne, later known as the Man who killed Kitchener and the leader of the Duquesne Spy Ring, was one of its more famous residents. The walls of the castle were extremely thick, yet night after night, Duquesne dug away the cement around the stones with an iron spoon. He nearly escaped one night, but a large stone slipped and pinned him in his tunnel. The next morning, a guard found him unconscious but alive.

In 1936 the Castle was declared a national monument. Extensive restorations completed during the 1980s make the Castle the best preserved example of a VOC fort.

The Castle acted as local headquarters for the South African Army in the Western Cape, but today houses the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regiments.

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Category:1679 architecture Category:Buildings and structures in Cape Town Good Hope Category:History of Cape Town Category:Maritime history of South Africa Category:Military history of South Africa Category:National symbols of South Africa