Did You Know?
The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, Gauteng, was inaugurated on 16 December 1949, not 1937 as sometimes misstated; the cornerstone was laid on 16 December 1937. The monument commemorates the Voortrekkers (pioneers) who left the Cape Colony in the Great Trek (1835–1854) and was designed by architect Gerard Moerdijk. It is a massive granite structure, 40 meters high, with a cenotaph at its center that is illuminated by sunlight on 16 December each year, symbolizing the Day of the Vow (now the Day of Reconciliation). The monument includes a museum that houses artifacts, documents, and artworks related to Voortrekker history, such as the marble frieze depicting scenes from the Great Trek. It is a provincial heritage site in Gauteng and a national heritage site of South Africa.
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