District Six Museum

District Six was once a thriving Cape Town neighborhood, a mixed community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans and immigrants from many ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. After the implementation of South Africa’s Group Areas Act of 1950, which mandated the geographic separation of different racial groups across the country, the district was declared a “whites-only” area in 1966. For the following sixteen years, 60,000 inhabitants of District Six were forcibly removed from their homes, which were then destroyed.  Although removals also occurred in other parts of South Africa, District Six gained special attention due to the scale and visibility of its urban relocation program. By 1982, the destruction was complete, and District Six had become a scar on the landscape. Former residents fought against redevelopment plans, finally concluding that memory was the best form of resistance against destruction. 

The attempt to build a museum that commemorates District Six arose from several campaigns throughout the 1980s to bring respect and dignity to the people of the erased neighborhood. The most prominent group involved was the Hands Off District Six committee, which opposed attempts to redevelop the area without addressing the issue of forced removals. The efforts of local activists succeeded, and the District Six Museum Foundation was established in 1989. In 1994, the 170 year-old Methodist Church was transformed into a museum to commemorate the neighborhood. The District Six Museum represents a public site of remembrance for all those who fell victim to South Africa’s Group Areas Act.

The Museum is widely recognized for its work in memory and community service. It is a vibrant member of the community, stimulating debate around identity, diversity, injustice, and city politics. The programs offered are varied and include workshops co-facilitated by the Cape Town Holocaust Centre and a six-month diversity-training program for 500 South African police officers. It also serves as a center of recovery for the displaced, helping them remember and commemorate the community they knew. The District Six Museum is a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.

As a non-governmental organization, the District Six Museum is funded by private, national and international donors, including the Ford Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund. It also receives occasional project support from the Western Cape provincial government. The museum is currently expanding; the District Six Museum Foundation recently acquired a new building, the Sacks Futeran building, which is a block away from the original museum. This space is to be used for community events, which include new exhibitions, workshops, seminars, educational programs, and performances.

References

District Six Museum Official Site.
External Link

District Six Museum Annual Report 2007-8
External Link

“District Six Museum.” International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.
External Link

“District Six Museum.” Cape Town Tourism Official Website.
External Link

Nanda, Serena Nanda. “South African Museums and the Creation of a New Identity.” American Anthropologist 106, no. 2 (June 2004): 379.

Discussions

Discussion for District Six Museum

The District Six Museum is a living space that is “continually shifted, layered, and subverted by its visitors.” It focuses on the past destruction of…

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Design of District Six Museum

Upon entry to the District Six Museum, a large, interactive map on the floor and a display of old street signs give visitors a palpable…

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