Mense wat voor 1981 op Maties studeer het sal weet dat die rooiplein nie altyd bo-op 'n biblioteek gebou was nie. Die J.S. Gericke is eers in 1981 geskep toe die universiteit se vorige twee biblioteke te klein geword het. Die enigste plek waar die nuwe biblioteek sentraal gebou kon word was onder die grond.
Hoekom is die J.S. Gericke ondergronds gebou?
Die biblioteek se webtuiste verduidelik die denkproses daaragter:
In 1926 the CL Marais Library had to be extended and by 1938 it had become clear that an entirely new line of thought was necessary. As early as 1912 the Scots-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie donated the sum of £6 000 towards the extension and maintenance of the library of the Victoria College.
An additional donation of £1 500 from the Carnegie Corporation to the Stellenbosch University in 1938, as well as contributions from alumni enabled the University to build a new library.
In 1938 the Carnegie building was erected on the site of the Pavillion rugby grounds, adjacent to and north of the present Administration building (Block B).
This building would become the home of the University Library for the next 50 years. [...]
[T]he next and present phase of the University Library, [was] the erection of the JS Gericke Library, named after the Reverend JS (Kosie) Gericke who served as Vice-chancellor of the University from 1952 to 1981.
The construction of the JS Gericke Library building commenced in 1981 and in 1983 the move to the new building took place.
This building occupies the unique position of being built underneath the centrally situated Jan Marais Square.
The reason for this unique position is that in planning a new library it was found that, apart from the Jan Marais Square, no centrally situated building sites were available on campus.
However, the historical importance of the Jan Marais Square and the architectural aesthetics of the historic buildings surrounding the square meant that this site could not be defaced with a multi-storeyed building. It was therefore decided to build underground.
Hier is 'n foto van die rooiplein in die verlede:
(Foto aanlyn) Die Jan Marais Plein rondom 1930. Kyk hoe min geboue is nog rondom sentraal kampus en Merrimanstraat
#leefStellenbosch
"'n Dromer" is 'n jong Stellenbosser wat graag skryf oor die dinge wat mens maklik miskyk. Sy hou van stowwerige boeke en spinnerakhuise en om te sien hoe die verlede nie altyd is wat jy dink of verwag nie. Sy skryf sedert 2015 elke week iets oor Stellenbosch, sy erfenis en sy mense.
Artikel: Y Coetsee 2017
Bronne:
Mertens, A. (1966) Stellenbosch. Nasionale Boekhandel Bpk, Kaapstad.
Thom, H.B. (ed). Stellenbosch 1866 - 1966 Honder Jaar Hoër Onderwys. Nasionale Boekhandel Bpk, Kaapstad.
US biblioteek webtuiste. Available: http://library.sun.ac.za/en-za/AboutUs/Pages/history-central.aspx
US argief, Matieland. Available: http://www.sun.ac.za/english/entities/archives/Documents/1957%20Matieland%202.pdf
