The town was named after President Paul Kruger and General Piet Joubert of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR). The town was laid out in 1888 and initially it was named Paulpietersrust. The name was changed twice, first to Paulpietersburg in 1898. The town formed part of the Utrecht district of the ZAR. During this time managing of towns such as Paulpietersburg was the responsibility of vrede – regters (Justices of the peace). Frans Lammerding was Paulpietersburg’s first vrederegter. He had to manage the town, sell erven and see to the financial administration. After the Anglo Boer War Paulpietersburg became part of Natal.

GENERAL INFORMATION

How to get there - Vryheid 48 km, Piet Retief 56 km

HISTORICAL VIEW

Filter Larsen Monument – Heroes of The Zulu War

In 1879 the German settlers were living in a laager at Luneberg where the British established a fort to help protect them from attack by Zulus.

Larsen

One afternoon, while on patrol, Major Schermbrucker and a young Danish soldier by the name of Larsen were ambushed by a Zulu impi. Then the major’s horse was killed, Larsen insisted that the senior man take his horse and flee. Because of this selfless deed, the young man was killed.

Filter

Later the same year, Heinrich Filter, a seventeen year old youth, also met his death very bravely. He never hesitated when he saw a herd of cattle being driven away by the Zulus – who had already stolen more than 250 head of cattle from the farmers. He mounted the first horse he could find and galloped off after the thieves. He was ambushed and chased across the Pongola River, where he was ruthlessly stabbed to death. A granite monument was erected in honour of these two brave youths and can be seen at the crossroad where the roads split from Luneberg, Paulpietersburg and Piet Retief.

Kruger Bridge

During the floods caused by the cyclone Demoina in February 1984 many modern bridges were washed away. One of them was the bridge over the Pivaan River on the road to Vryheid. Traffic had to be detoured and once again the old main road had to be used. All the traffic had to once again cross the Kruger Bridge as well. The Kruger Bridge was completed in 1898, the year Paul Kruger was re-elected as president of the ZAR by a large majority. He was largely responsible for the construction of roads and railways to connect Pretoria with Maputo (then Lorenco Marques).

Library Building

The building was used as store room by the British during the Anglo Boer War. All but this building and the Dutch Reformed Church were burnt to the ground during the war. It is said that Paul Kruger donated 10 gold pounds towards the building of the church and it was for many years known as the Kruger Church. The corner stone of this beautiful building, built by the members of the Reformed Church, was laid in May 1899. Owing to a dwindling congregation the church was disbanded in 1951. On 4 December 1955 the church opened it’s doors once more. This time to the Lutheran Congregation of Paulpietersburg. In 1969 it was sold to the Paulpietersburg Municipality.

The Battle of Ntombe – Battle Signs of the Zulu War

Utter destruction and devastation greeted Major Charles Pucker and his garrison of 150 men when they arrived at Myers Drift in the early hours of 12 March 1879. The Staffordshire Volunteers, who were stationed at Luneberg to help safeguard Utrecht, as well as the tiny hamlet itself, were expecting supplies and ammunition to arrive by wagon from Derby. On 7 March Captain David Moriarty, who was dispatched to bring in this convoy, found it abandoned and scattered for miles along the north bank of the overflowing Ntombe River. Pelting rain made the task of gathering the wagons and crossing the swollen river impossible for all but two of the wagons. Moriarty decide to pitch camp and wait for the river to subside. A small laager was formed with the wagons in the shape of an inverted ‘V’ and Moriarty pitched his tent outside the apex to the laager. The two wagons which managed to reach the south bank were protected by Lt Harward and 35 of his men. Communications between the two camps was maintained by a raft built of planks and barrels. uMblini must have been gleefully watching from his stronghold in the Tafelberg Mountain only a few miles away. Seeing the soldiers wet, cold and tiredly struggling, he must have realized that they had become extremely vulnerable. On that fatal morning, at dawn, uMbilini led an 800 strong impi in attack on the sleeping, totally unprepared English. Moriarty was stabbed then shot as he tried to escape into the laager. Harward’s men started firing from the south bank. Harward ordered his men to ‘fire away’ before galloping off in search of help. Sgt Booth, Lance Cpl Burgess and seven survivors tried to cover the retreat of the fugitives being chased by the hordes of warriors across the river. They retreated even further to a deserted farmhouse about 1 km from the new Pongola Bridge. Meanwhile, Harward had alerted Major Tucker and the rest of the company, who hastened to their comrade’s assistance. Only to discover 60 men, Moriarty, the surgeon, two white wagon conductors and 15 black drivers dead, bodies strewn everywhere in the mud. Due to lack of mounted men, uMbilini plundered the wagons and withdrew with all the cattle.

The Peace of Vereeniging Statue

The Anglo Boer War was a long, hard struggle. By the end 1901 both the British and Boers were ready for peace. In January 1902 the Dutch Government proposed a mediation of peace to be declared between the two war torn nations. A delegation of Boers, under the leadership of Schalk Burger, rode to Pretoria to negotiate with Lord Milner and General Kitchener. Each ‘Kommandant’ set out to discuss these terms with his men in the field. General Botha, who was one of these commanders, met his men on the bank of the Egode River. Here they voted for peace. The statue was erected in 1935 in honour of those who participated and died in the war.

Voortrekker Gate

In 1938 a symbolic ‘Trek’ was organized throughout the then four provinces to celebrate the centenary of the Great Trek. On 14 November the Louis Trichardt wagon arrived at Elangwana station where it was met by a commando of 200 men on horse back. The ‘Trek’ entered the town with a great deal more gatiety than the original group of pioneers who forged their way into this strange land. A laager was formed at what was then the market square (where the town hall now stands) and a festival ensued. There were thanksgiving ceremonies, boere sport and a torch-carrying ceremony (fakkelloop). Concrete was paved at the entrance to the Voortrekker Park and as a permanent reminder the Trichardt wagon was drawn across by the young women of the

‘Kappie Kommando’ to leave it’s tracks under the beautiful ox wagon gate.

Accommodation in and around Paulpietersburg