Potchefstroom Museum - North West

The Potchefstroom Museum consists of a number of different buildings, the first is the Main museum in Gouws Street, then the Totius House Museum on the corner of Molen and Esselen Street, the President Pretorius Museum is in Van der Hoff Road and the Goutz-Fleischack Museum can be found on the corner of Gouws and Potgieter Streets.

The museum forms an interesting link between the historical and cultural past of the former Transvaal region. There is an unusual group of characters whose lives are recorded in the beautiful highveld town of Potchefstroom, a Voortrekker leader, a president, an artist and a poet. The Voortrekker was Andries Hendrik Potgieter, who was a religious man as well as the founder of Potchefstroom in 1838. The second who made this town his home was Marthinus Wessel Pretorius, the first president of the South African Republic, and also the compiler the constitution of the Republic. Then came the artist, although Otto Landsberg was never a resident of Potchefstroom, his many paintings are on permanent display in the town. Finally there is the man who was known as Potchefstrooms greatest man of letters and who worked under the pseudonym of Totius. Totius (Jakob Daniel du Toit) made his mark, which will always be remembered throughout history, by translating most of the Bible into Afrikaans, finishing what his father Stephanus Jacobus du Toit had begun.

The museum's art gallery includes works by renowned South African artists such as Maud Sumner, Walter Battiss and Bettie Cilliers-Barnard, but it is the works of German-born artist Otto Landsberg that form the centre of the museums focus. Although he was born in Germany, Landberg lived in the Cape and many years later his grandson Auguste d Astre made Potchefstroom his home. His works on display at the museum are a perfect representation of his multi faceted artistic talent, showing his painting, watercolours and sculptures.

The museum is open to visitors on weekdays from 10:00 to 17:00 (Closing for lunch from 13:00 to 14:00), on Saturdays from 09:00 to 13:00 and on Sundays from 14:30 to 16:30. Admission is free.

Contact details for the Potchefstroom Museum:
Address: 18 Wolmarans Street, Potchefstroom, North West, South Africa
Phone: +27 18 299 5022 / +27 18 299 5078
Email: museum@potch.co.za