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“Mission in Zululand”- Report from a research conference

2009-11-12

The South African history is so dramatic. Historians are taking part in ongoing processes where past events are re-interpreted and history rewritten. Debates on history in South Africa are not restricted to theoretical discussions by scholars alone, the debates concerns everyone. Kristin Fjelde Tjelle, PhD-student at MHS, has just arrived from South Africa where she together with Professor Odd Magne Bakke participated at the conference "Mission in Zululand".

Pietermaritsburg konferanse.jpg

It's exiting and really inspiring to meet South African historians, she continues. The conference was initiated by the research project Norwegian mission and cultural interactions in South Africa and Madagascar, 1880-1960 (NMCI), and found place 5. - 6. November 2009 in Pietermaritzburg. Besides Tjelle and Bakke from MHS, there were two historians from the University of Stavanger and six historians from the University of KwaZulu Natal participating. Anglican, Congregationalist, Catholic and Lutheran mission efforts in Zululand were presented at the conference, and the speakers discussed as various issues as medical missions, indigenous clergy, religious conversion, missionary masculinity and missionaries' perceptions and re-presentations of Africa/Zululand and the Africans/Zulus.

Battle Field Trip.jpg The Ncome monument commemorates the fallen Zulu warriors at the battle of Blood River in 1838.

Blood River memorial.jpg The Boer memorial of the victory at Blood River 16. January 1838