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Adele Steinwender : observations of a German woman living on a Berlin mission station as recorded in her diary

Dissertation (MHCS)--University of Pretoria, 2008.

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Other Authors: Bergh, J.S.
Format: Thesis
Published: University of Pretoria 2013
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Bergh, J.S.
author_browse Bergh, J.S.
author_facet Bergh, J.S.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © University of Pretoria 2007 E1040/
description Dissertation (MHCS)--University of Pretoria, 2008.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/27410
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:38:46.059Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
publishDateSort 2013
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
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spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/27410 Adele Steinwender : observations of a German woman living on a Berlin mission station as recorded in her diary Bergh, J.S. Kriel, Lize birgit.brammer@gmail.com Brammer, Birgit Bethanie Race Social hierarchy Private Public Patriarchy Paternalism Nationalism Missionary Marie julie grützner neé nachtigal Gender Germanness Education Adele steinwender Domesticity Diary Colonialism Carl heinrich grützner Auto biography Berlin mission society UCTD Dissertation (MHCS)--University of Pretoria, 2008. In 1885 Adele Steinwender arrived in South Africa from Germany. Her vocation was that of a teacher, but unlike the majority of white women who moved to the colonies to teach, Steinwender taught the children of the missionaries, as opposed to the local children. During her five years in Bethanie, a Berlin Mission Station in the Orange Free State, she kept a diary recording her observations of day-to-day life. Steinwender’s diary reveals certain aspects that were often neglected in the diary of the male missionaries, namely the domestic side of life. Her commentaries provide one with a unique perspective on missionary activities, not only because she is writing as a woman, but because although she is in the employ of the Berlin Mission Society, she herself, was not a missionary. Thus her reflections are that of an “outsider”. She was an outsider in more senses than one, considering she was an unmarried woman, who was financially independent, and this set her apart from the other woman who lived within this community at the time. Another aspect that made her unique was that she was the most recent arrival from Germany. Although the white residents of Bethanie did attempt to uphold their germanness during their time spent abroad, they had somewhat adapted to a more “colonial lifestyle”. Throughout her diary, Steinwender cites examples of such cultural adaptations amongst the people living there. That having been said, however, the missionaries and their families still held a feeling of superiority over the local population and there was a deeper sense of German nationalism that was prevalent at all times. This study examines the diary alongside nationalism and gender and provides one with an image of what a community was perceived like through the eyes of Steinwender. She proved to be the exception more than the rule, yet there is a perpetual undertone of her wanting to fit within the confines of what was considered to be normal. Historical and Heritage Studies unrestricted 2013-09-07T11:28:34Z 2008-09-10 2013-09-07T11:28:34Z 2008-04-17 2008-09-10 2008-08-20 Dissertation a 2007 E1040/gm http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27410 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-08202008-173954/ © University of Pretoria 2007 E1040/ application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Bethanie
Race
Social hierarchy
Private
Public
Patriarchy
Paternalism
Nationalism
Missionary
Marie julie grützner neé nachtigal
Gender
Germanness
Education
Adele steinwender
Domesticity
Diary
Colonialism
Carl heinrich grützner
Auto biography
Berlin mission society
UCTD
Adele Steinwender : observations of a German woman living on a Berlin mission station as recorded in her diary
title Adele Steinwender : observations of a German woman living on a Berlin mission station as recorded in her diary
title_full Adele Steinwender : observations of a German woman living on a Berlin mission station as recorded in her diary
title_fullStr Adele Steinwender : observations of a German woman living on a Berlin mission station as recorded in her diary
title_full_unstemmed Adele Steinwender : observations of a German woman living on a Berlin mission station as recorded in her diary
title_short Adele Steinwender : observations of a German woman living on a Berlin mission station as recorded in her diary
title_sort adele steinwender observations of a german woman living on a berlin mission station as recorded in her diary
topic Bethanie
Race
Social hierarchy
Private
Public
Patriarchy
Paternalism
Nationalism
Missionary
Marie julie grützner neé nachtigal
Gender
Germanness
Education
Adele steinwender
Domesticity
Diary
Colonialism
Carl heinrich grützner
Auto biography
Berlin mission society
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27410
http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-08202008-173954/