The French refugees in 20th century South African historiography

Abstract

This article traces the portrayal of the French refugees/Huguenots (as a subject of matter) in the South African (church) historiography of the 20th century and tells their story chronologically. The survey reveals a positive evaluation and acceptance of the French refugees in the history of South Africa. The collection and study of primary sources in this regard during the 20th century, however, did not prevent the formulation of contextualised presumptions, suppositions, images and unreliable sociohistorical and religious theories connected to the French refugees in the (church) historiography. It appears that some constitutive-critical and, in particular, theological-critical work still has to be done in order to let the historical reality (concerning the French refugees) come into its own and full right. Taking the historiography into consideration, this article argues that further research on the significance of the French refugees at the Cape thus cannot be executed within the range of limited and traditional questions and presuppositions such as the historical and cultural origin of the Afrikaner people, the development of the political idea of separation, the strengthening of the reformed confession and faith in South Africa, the derivation of a typical Protestant and Afrikaner Calvinism or the accepted and assumed connection between Calvin, France and South Africa.