Top 10 Amazing Facts about Apartheid Museum

Entrance to the South African Apartheid Museum. Author User:Katangais. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Apartheid Museum

South Africa, is considered one of the most visited destinations in the world. Apart from the beauty that this country has, it also stands as a home to many interesting attractions that talk about history and help you understand where the country is today. One of them is the Apartheid Museum which opened its doors in 2001.

This museum brings to life, the horrors of the Apartheid system. It is a tale narrating the story of the rise and fall of Apartheid. It not only focuses on the Apartheid but also on the entire history of the city and the amazing works of Mandela.

It is located 8km south of the city center, just off the M1 freeway. The site is less than half an hour away from central Johannesburg by bus.

1. It Is A Pre-Eminent Museum Dealing With 20^th Century South Africa

The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is acknowledged as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20^th-century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story. The Apartheid Museum, the first of its kind, illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid.

2. The Pillar Of The Constitution Is One Of The Most Amazing Displays

While you enter the museum, you will find a variety of exhibits which would give you a pure insight into the Apartheid system and its laws. Apart from the permanent exhibitions, there are even some temporary ones which would take place based on different themes.

 Four of the main exhibitions will tell you about how Apartheid came into South African life and also about its laws. The rest of them includes violence, homelands, and many more.

 One of the most amazing displays is the Pillar of the constitution. This has seven pillars which are Equality, Respect, Freedom, Diversity, Democracy, Responsibility and Reconciliation.

3. It Is A Superb Example Of Design, Space, And Landscape

An architectural consortium, comprising several leading architectural firms, conceptualized the design of the building on a seven-hectare stand. The museum is a superb example of design, space, and landscape offering the international community a unique South African experience.

4. The Museum Came About As Part Of A Casino Bid In 1996

The museum came about as part of a casino bid in 1996. Bidders were obliged to include a social responsibility project; the winning consortium said they would build a museum, and spent in the region of R80 million making good on their commitment.

5. It Provides An In-depth Insight Into Life Under The Apartheid Regime

Through its twenty-two exhibition areas, comprising original artifacts information panels, and multimedia presentations including films, the Apartheid Museum provides an in-depth insight into the life u the apartheid regime. It also looks at the gradual campaign against apartheid and the struggle for equal rights led by Nelson Mandela, the country’s eventual president.

The exhibits are from film footage, photographs, text panels, and artifacts illustrating the events and human stories that are part of the epic saga, known as apartheid.

The exhibits include permanent exhibits, temporary exhibits and a specific Mandela exhibit dedicated to the influential figure.

Tickets for the museum are plastic credit-card size cards indicating either “Non-white” or “White”, and with one in your hand, you know you have begun a harrowing journey.

6. Contains Blown-Up Copies Of Early Identity Cards, Identity Books, And The Hated Passbooks

As you swing through the turnstile on your historical journey from the early peoples of South Africa to the birth of democracy in the country in 1994, cages greet you, and inside the cages are blown-up copies of early identity cards, identity books and the hated passbooks and racially tagged identity cards.

7. You Will Find The Footage Of A Remarkable 1961 BBC Interview With Nelson Mandela

You will find the footage of a remarkable 1961 BBC interview with Nelson Mandela when he was in hiding from the authorities, as well as footage of prime minister Hendrik Verwoerd addressing a crowd in English, explaining how the country could be happily ruled only when its races were separated.

8. You Are Allowed To Express Your Solidarity With The Victims Of Apartheid

You can express your solidarity with the victims of apartheid by placing your own pebble on a pile. You then walk out into grassland with paths that take you to a small lake – you may need this reflective time.

9. The Last Part Of The Museum Tells The Triumph Of The Human Spirit Over Such Adversity And The End Of Apartheid In 1994

Then there’s the descent into violence and the horrors of events like the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960 and the later total onslaught against the black population that led to the declaration of armed struggle. There’s a massive Casspir on display too, an armored tank used routinely by the South African army and police to quell resistance.

The life of Mandela is also charted, with his boxing gloves one of the most prized exhibits, as well as a faithful replica of his cell, his writings and his speeches.

The last part of the museum, happily, tells the triumph of the human spirit over such adversity and the end of apartheid in 1994, with Mandela’s release, the National Peace Accord with President F.W. de Clerk, and the peaceful transition to democracy.

10. One Of The Goals Of The Museum, Is To Show The Disastrous Consequences Of Racism And Discrimination

One of the goals of the museum, like the US’s Holocaust Museum in Washington, is to show the disastrous consequences of racism and discrimination and to serve as a reminder to us all never to repeat such a past. It’s a lesson that’s never been more finely taught.

Visitors to the museum are greeted with a very real reflection of what it was like to live in a racially segregated society. The museum has two entrances labeled “White” and “Non-white”, and depending on which ticket you are issued, you will be ushered through one of the two.