Genadendal or the valley of grace
The mission station of Genadendal, also known as the valley of grace, was founded by the Moravavian Missionary Society in 1793 in what was called Baviaans Kloof, ravine of the baboons.
Where in 1737 an earlier worker of the Society, Georg Schmidt, had attempted to establish a station for the conversion of the Hottentots to Christianity.This effort had failed, ending after five years in a squabble over the missionary’s right to administer Baptism to his converts.
The mission station of Genadendal, also known as the valley of grace, was founded by the Moravavian Missionary Society in 1793 in what was called Baviaans Kloof, ravine of the baboons.
Where in 1737 an earlier worker of the Society, Georg Schmidt, had attempted to establish a station for the conversion of the Hottentots to Christianity.This effort had failed, ending after five years in a squabble over the missionary’s right to administer Baptism to his converts.
The old Water Mill 1796 |
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The early beginnings The Moravian Church (originated in 1457 in Moravia, today part of Slovakia) had a particular zeal for mission work and in 1737 the young German bachelor missionary Georg Schmidt was sent to the Cape. Many thought that mission work among the Khoi (Hottentots) was attempting the impossible, but in spite of this Schmidt settled on 23 April 1738 in Baviaans Kloof (Ravine of the Baboons) in the Riviersonderend Valley. |
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Schmidt became acquainted with an impoverished and dispersed Khoi people who
were practically on the threshold of complete extinction. Apart from the few
kraals which still remained, there were already thirteen farms in the vicinity
of Baviaans Kloof. Within a short while Schmidt formed a small Christian
congregation. He taught the Khoi to read and write, but when he began to baptise
his converts there was great dissatisfaction among the Cape Dutch Reformed
clergy. According to them, Schmidt was not an ordained minister and so was not
permitted to administer the sacraments. Consequently he had to abandon his work,
and in 1744, after seven years at Baviaans Kloof, he left the country. |
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The mission work resumed
Only in 1792 did the
Moravians obtain permission to resume Schmidt’s work at Baviaans Kloof. For
this task three missionaries, H. Marsveld, C. Kühnel and D. Schwinn, were
chosen. When they arrived they found the ruins of Schmidt’s dwelling, with a
great pear tree in the garden. There was also an old woman,
Magdalena, whom Schmidt had baptised, whose acquaintance they made. She was
able to show them a Bible (on display in museum), kept in a leather bag,
which had been given to her years ago by Schmidt. The missionaries listened
with amazement when she asked her daughter to read a portion of the New
Testament to them. When the work in Baviaans Kloof was resumed, the
missionaries and the members of their congregation had to cope with a number of
problems. The Stellenbosch D.R.C. questioned the authority and the desirability
of mission work in Baviaans Kloof, which lay within the boundaries of their
ministerial district. |
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There are 15 exhibition rooms with a unique collection ranging from household equipment, musical instruments, medical equipment, tools, books, printing presses, the oldest fire-engine and oldest pipeorgan in the country etc., etc.
The mission museum
The contents of the museum were declared a National Cultural Treasure on
8 March 1991. Most of the collection on display has been produced and used at
this mission station. Genadendal (1738), the oldest mission station on the
continent of Africa, was one of the most progressive ‘communities at the Cape
during the 19th century. The Moravian Missionaries and members of the
congregation, apart from fulfilling their religious duties, carried out
pioneering work in the fields of education, music, printing, vernacular
architecture, furniture making and other local industries |
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