| Stutterheim - A History of the Area |
| A Short History | British-German Legion |
|
Xhosa History | |
| Von Stutterheim's Mill | Sandile's Grave | Recent History |
| The Bethel Mission Station |
| Bethel Mission Station was founded on 2 January 1837
by Pastor J.L. Dohne of the Berlin Missionary Society on
land granted by Chief Gazela. The first Church was
destroyed in 1846 during the battle of the Axe. When he first arrived, Dohne was full of praise for the area that he had been allocated. However when his young wife died giving birth and his baby son died six months later, he was sadly disillusioned. In 1846, when his mission station was destroyed, he left the Cape Colony for Natal where he became the Minister to the Voortrekkers. Pastor Dohne was succeeded by Pastor A. Kropf, who rebuilt the mission station. However in 1850 it was burnt down again. In 1852 Kropf rebuilt it for a second time, but it was still nothing more than a collection of huts. In 1864-1865 the present little church was built and inaugurated on 8 August 1865. Kropf remained at this mission station until his death in 1910. He was particularly known as a chief translator of the Bible into Xhosa (published in 1887-1889) and compiler of a Xhosa-English dictionary published in 1899. A copy of this dictionary is owned by the Historical Society and is on display in the Stutterheim Public Library. The Bethel Mission Complex consists of:
The Church Situated on the railway line side of the road, the Church is a brick building which was consecrated in 1865. There are texts painted on the walls in the interior. Outside are two belfries, one is without a bell, the other is most distinctive. The bell has raised decorative borders at the top and also on the lower edge. On the front are two texts in German and on the reverse side is a relief of the crucified Christ with the name of the maker, town and date of manufacture. At the top of the bell where it is hung from the beam is a ring of cherub's heads. The emblem of the bell has been adopted by the Stutterheim Historical Society as its logo. The Cottage The Cottage lies on the same side of the road as the Church. This is though to be the original rectory built by Pastor Kropf when he returned to the mission in 1845 after the then current Frontier War was over. When the German Legion arrived he was officially appointed their Chaplain. The School Opposite the Church lies the School. It is currently occupied and in severe disrepair. Superficial examination dates it well into the middle of the last century, as there are no nails used in the construction and the roof beams are lashed together with thongs. This is thought to have been where Pastor Kropf started to teach the Xhosa to read. The Cemetery The Cemetery is on the same side of the road as the school rectory. It is closer to town where there is a gate which leads down to an oak avenue. Pastor Kropf is buried there with his wife and members of the family. The Rectory The Rectory is a stone building facing the peak to which the Rev. Dohne gave his name. In all probability it was built during the years when the Kropfs were at Bethel. It is still in use as a home today. To the North of the rectory are two graves - those of Pastor Dohne's wife and child. |