Área de identidad
Código de referencia
Título
Fecha(s)
- 1878 - 1976 (Creación)
Nivel de descripción
Fondo
Volumen y soporte
Extent168 boxes
Área de contexto
Nombre del productor
Historia administrativa
On the 9th July 1875, two young missionaries, Ernest Creux and Paul Berthoud founded the Swiss Mission station of Valdezia in the Northern Transvaal. It was on many occasions a hard hit and tested society. The field of action was in the unhealthy Lowveld, on the Transvaal side as well as beyond the Portuguese East African border, into Mozambique. The mission has constantly developed, not only geographically, but in the nature of its work and variety of its undertakings
Its hospitals were famous for the efficiency of their work and the practical help which they rendered to patients. There are hospitals and clinics, three of the hospitals having training schools for nurses. Female missionaries were of great importance in teaching and social work. Its schools and Normal College have done outstanding work. From the scientific standpoint, writers such as H.A. Junod, H.P. Junod, A.A. Jacques and others have contributed much to Bantu studies in all its branches, especially in linguistics and social anthropology. The church has helped to foster good race relations
There is a feeling of affinity and friendship between the Reformed Church of Switzerland, including the Mission Suisse Romande and a large section of South Africans of the same religious faith. There is a strong desire for union between the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa Presbyterian/Congregational and the Tsonga Presbyterian Church (Swiss Mission in South Africa). Among the tribes of Portuguese East Africa as well in the Northern Transvaal, in Pretoria and Johannesburg, thousands of African people have been built into the fabric of a church whose standards are unusually high. Its relations with other missionary societies have been most cordial and brotherly.
The principal task of the mission was evangelisation, but another very important function was education. Schools were opened at Shiluvane, Lemana Training Institution, near Elim, and Rikatla Bible School for the Mozambicans. Some schools had an industrial and agricultural syllabus
Church organization, Shangaan literature, the Blue Croat (temperance movement), scout and guide troops, teaching patrols who were went out from the stations Into the bush, are all part of the work of the Swiss Mission.
Institución archivística
Historia archivística
In 1976, the Swiss Mission agreed to send their archives to Historical Papers, which Professor Tim Couzens collected and brought down in December 1976. A second part arrived in November 1977. A formal agreement was drawn up in 1981 between the Swiss Mission and the University of the Witwatersrand. At a later stage the Bible Translation Project was added and at a further date, M. Beuchat's Tsonga lexicographic material for a Tsonga dictionary, consisting of 6 boxes and 2 box files were despatched and are kept here until a decision regarding publication is reached.
Origen del ingreso o transferencia
Área de contenido y estructura
Alcance y contenido
Part 70.19 - The Bible in Standard Tsonga. There is a listing of the items, stored in 58 boxes, which is attached to the hardcopy inventory.
Part S 1-8 - Schneider Papers. The items stored in these S 1-8 boxes are referred to in the inventory. The listing of the items is attached to the hardcopy inventory.
Valorización, destrucción y programación
Acumulaciones
Sistema de arreglo
The original classification provided by the Swiss Mission has been retained, keeping the 2nd additions in like order as far as possible, making adjustments where necessary during integration. The Education section was done in detail by a former member of staff, which is kept in the same order in which she sorted that section of the collection.
Área de condiciones de acceso y uso
Condiciones de acceso
Condiciones
Copyright Historical Papers Research Archive, The Library, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Idioma del material
Escritura del material
Notas sobre las lenguas y escrituras
Características físicas y requisitos técnicos
Instrumentos de descripción
Uploaded finding aid
Área de materiales relacionados
Existencia y localización de originales
Existencia y localización de copias
Unidades de descripción relacionadas
Área de notas
Notas
Searching this collection is challenging due to the fact that many place names, mission names, names of tribes etc., are spelled in the French manner of the time.
Identificador/es alternativo(os)
Puntos de acceso
Puntos de acceso por materia
Puntos de acceso por lugar
Puntos de acceso por autoridad
Tipo de puntos de acceso
Área de control de la descripción
Identificador de la descripción
Identificador de la institución
Reglas y/o convenciones usadas
Estado de elaboración
Nivel de detalle
Fechas de creación revisión eliminación
Idioma(s)
Escritura(s)
Fuentes
Nota del archivista
Compiled by Joan Knoesen, 1987