Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Staatsarchivs 4. (1951)
BISCHOFF, Norbert: Zentralarchiv für Jüdische Geschichte. – Diaspora-Forschungsinstitut - BEYERS, Coenrad: The Archives of the Union of South Africa
Südafrikanische Union 289 created and in 1927 an Archivist was appointed for the Orange Free State. In the Transvaal Mr. P. L. A. Goldman succeeded Mr. Fockens and on Mr. Goldman’s retirement Dr. Coenraad Beyers was appointed to the newly created post of Senior Archivist. This post was, in 1932, converted to that of Assistant Chief Archivist for the Union. On Dr. C. Graham Botha’s retirement in 1944 he was succeeded as Chief Archivist by Dr. Coenraad Beyers. The office of the head of the Archives was at the same time moved to Pretoria, and that of the Assistant Chief Archivist to Cape Town. Experience showed the need for having the Assistant Chief Archivist in the same Archives Depot as the Chief Archivist in order that he might assist the Chief Archivist with administrative and professional matters in respect of all four Depots. The post of Assistant Chief Archivist was accordingly transferred to Pretoria on the 1st November, 1950. While to provide for the needs of the Cape Archives, the post of Senior Archivist was revived. The staffs of the various Archives Depots have been increased from time to time, notably in 1950 when two additional Archivists’ posts, for Pretoria and Cape Town respectively, and six additional Assistant Archivists’ posts were created. In recent years there has been a marked increase in the use made of the Archives of the various Provinces. The number of research students and of the general public using the Archives indicates that their value is being recognized as a national asset and that they are of paramount importance for historical research. Accessions. From time to time collections of private papers are acquired by the various Archives. Among the most important are the Joubert, the Lauts, the Leyds, the Gustav Preller, the S. P. Engelbrecht, the Sir John Kotze, the Pierson, the General Hertzog, and the de la Rey Papers in the Transvaal Archives; the Maclear, the F. S. Maian, the Benjamin D’Urban, the Te Water, the Michell, the Freemantle, the Gallagher, and J. de Wet Papers in the Cape Archives; the President Steyn, the Abraham Fischer, the Driemanskap, and the Dr. Hendrik Muller Papers in the Orange Free State Archives; and the Shepstone, the Colenso, and the Sir Evelyn Wood Papers in the Natal Archives. Photographic Section. In the Cape Archives there is also a rapidly growing photographic section. There is a photostat machine and also a fully equipped darkroom for the photographing of documents and the developing of negatives. Also microfilms of documents can be made. The famous Elliott Collection of negatives and the photographs of his 1910—1911 Exhibition, the Ravenscroft Collection of negatives and a few minor collections are also housed in the Cape Archives. Copies of documents and photographic prints are supplied to the public on payment of a fee. Microfilming of archival sources. In November, 1949, a unit from Film Services, Department of Education, Arts and Science, was installed in the Archives at Pretoria to undertake the microfilming of the oldest and most important groups of records. The microfilming of the documents of the First Volksraad of the South African Republic has been completed, and the microfilming of other important groups is now in progress. 10
