| In Memorium: Professor Tienie van Schoor |
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| Friday, 14 August 2009 10:54 |
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Professor M.C.E. (Tienie) van Schoor, well-known historian and versatile writer of numerous works on different aspects of South African history, died on Saturday 25 July in his home at Kleinmond, at the age of 88 years and 8 months. After his retirement from academic life in 1985, he settled in Betty’s Bay, before he moved a few years ago to Kleinmond because of poor health. As a student at the then Free State University College from 1938, Tienie applied himself to the subject of history and by 1946 was able to place an MA degree behind his name. In the meantime, he also qualified as a teacher and in 1947 obtained the MEd degree through external study through the University of South Africa. In 1962, he obtained his doctoral degree under the supervision of his ‘main mentor’, Professor D.W. Krüger, at the University of Potchefstroom for Christian Higher Education. In his early career, up to 1956, he worked as a part-time assistant at the SABC, assistant archivist at the Orange Free State Archives, and a teacher at the Central High School, Bloemfontein. Prof Tienie (as he was known in academic circles as well as in the publishing industry and among all those known to him) was attached to the Department of History at the University of the Orange Free State for thirty years (1956–1985), and was head of that department from 1977 until his retirement. He was also the initiator of the erstwhile Political Archive at the University in 1964, which was transformed into the Institute for Contemporary History under his initiative and guidance in 1971. Despite his open aversion to titles and public display, he demonstrated unquestionable leadership talents within the academy (as a student he had twice served as chairperson of the Student’s Representative Council). As a joint founder of the Lecturer’s Union, editor of that body’s mouthpiece, Acta Academica, a member of the Faculty’s Council as well as its research committee, a member of the Senate and the Council, he made a valuable contribution with his wide insight and carefully considered opinions. Prof Tienie’s contribution to the promotion of history and culture in general also stretched over a wide front: he was
He was also a great champion for the protection of Afrikaner cultural heritage, as witnessed by his impressive contribution
In the last-mentioned two cases he was also the driver and inspiration behind the erection of the four unique group of statues on the grounds of the above-mentioned museum and monument in Bloemfontein, which symbolised the struggle and trauma of Afrikaners in the Anglo-Boer War, namely ‘Farewell’, ‘The Exiles’, ‘The Outrider’ and ‘The Bitter- Ender (Diehard)’. Within the discipline, he is particularly known for this knowledge of the history of the Free State and of the Anglo-Boer War, and as biographer of the Free State ‘trio’, Dr J.D. Kestell, General C.R. de Wet and President M.T. Steyn. Standard works on these three leaders were completed after his retirement as ‘a debt of honour’ to Afrikaners: the most recent, on Steyn, appeared shortly before his death. Another notable work of his is Die Bittereinde Vrede (‘The Die-Hard Peace’), in the numbered Africana series, Die Erwe van ons Vaad’re (‘The Heritage of our Fathers’). During the 1960s, Prof Tienie also undertook extensive research on the Rebellion of 1914–1915, but his death has prevented the completion of what was expected to be a major contribution to Afrikaner historical writing. Several articles on this subject did indeed appear under his name over the years, while an aspect of this, on General J.C.G. Kemp’s epic desert campaign, was completed in book form after his retirement. On his initiative, a monument to the Rebellion was also erected in the Willem Pretorius Game Reserve in the Free State. Shortly before his death, Prof Tienie passed all his research on the Rebellion and related books and publications on to me – as an early colleague who had walked the same path of political history from the 1960s (through the establishment of the Political Archives) – with the request that the work be completed. Less well known is that Prof Tienie was also a productive writer of feature articles for Die Volksblad, and produced some 450 contibutions for Saturday editions of that newspaper. This was done in addition to many dozen book reviews, as well as scores of articles on aspects of Free State history. His particular knowledge of and his love for classical music and of birds were further characteristics of his multi-dimensional person. Jaap Steyn interprets the intimate knowledge of him held by various colleagues and friends when he describes him as ‘one of the most underestimated speakers about his subject that I have ever encountered’. This also echoes the views of his former pupils at the Central High School in Bloemfontein in the early 1950s, as well as students who attended his classes, who recall him as ‘bubbly and energetic’ in the presentation of his subject. A doctoral student has described the supervision which he received from Prof Tienie as ‘the most wonderful time of my life’. ‘Many sided’ and ‘complete person ... a colleague of quality in the entire sense which includes heart and mind’ is how he was described by Professor of Latin and colleague, W.J. Richards. It can also be said of him, as it was of his great historical hero General Christiaan de Wet: ‘Quiet, brothers, there passes a man!’ P.E. van der Schyff 7 August 2009 Acknowledgements:
Prof Tienie van SchoorProf MCE (Tienie) van Schoor, bekende historikus en veelsydige skrywer van talle werke oor verskeie fasette van die Suid-Afrikaanse geskiedenis, is op Saterdag 25 Julie in sy huis op Kleinmond oorlede, in die ouderdom van 88 jaar en 8 maande. Na sy uitrede uit die akademie in 1985 het hy hom op Bettiesbaai gevestig, voordat hy enkele jare gelede vanweë swak gesondheid na Kleinmond verhuis het. As student aan die destydse Vrystaatse Universiteitskollege sedert 1938, het Tienie hom op die vak geskiedenis toegelê en teen 1946 die MA-graad agter sy naam geskryf. Hy het intussen hom ook op die onderwys toegespits en in 1947 die MEd-graad buitemuurs aan UNISA verwerf. In 1962 het hy sy doktorsgraad onder sy "groot leermeester", prof DW Krüger van die PU vir CHO verwerf. In sy vroeë beroepsloopbaan, tot 1956, tref ons hom aan as deeltydse assistent by die SAUK, assistent-argivaris by die Vrystaatse Argief en onderwyser aan Sentraal Hoërskool, Bloemfontein. Prof Tienie, soos hy in akademiese kringe maar ook in die uitgewersbedryf en by al sy kennisse bekend gestaan het, was vir dertig jaar (1956-1985) verbonde aan die departement geskiedenis van die Universiteit van die Oranje-Vrystaat, en was vanaf 1977 tot met sy uittrede departementshoof. Hy was in 1964 ook die inisieërder van die destydse Politieke Argief aan hierdie universiteit, wat mede deur sy ywer en toedoen in 1971 in die Instituut vir Eietydse Geskiedenis omskep is. Ten spyte van 'n openlike aversie teen titels en vertoon, het hy sy onbetwiste leierskapstalente (hy was as student vir twee termyne lank voorsitter van die Studenteraad) binne die akademiese opset diensbaar gestel. As medestigter van die Lektorevereniging, redakteur van dié vereniging se mondstuk, Acta Academica, as Fakuleitsraadslid en dié se navorsingskomitee, voorsitter van die Biblioteekkomitee en lid van die Senaat en die Raad, het hy met sy wye insig en beredeneerde standpunte waardevolle insette gelewer. Prof Tienie se betrokkenheid by die bevordering van geskiedenis en kultuur in die algemeen, het oor 'n wye front gestrek:
Hy was ook 'n groot yweraar vir die bewaring van die Afrikaner se kultuur erfenisse, soos getuig sy reuse rol:
In laasgenoemde twee gevalle was hy die dryfkrag en inspirasie agter die oprigting van die vier unieke beeldegroepe op die terrein van bogenoemde museum en monument in Bloemfontein, wat die stryd en trauma van die Afrikaner in die Anglo-Boereoorlog simboliseer, nl. Afskeid, Die Bannelinge, Die Agterryer en Die Bittereinder. Binne vakverband het hy veral bekendheid verwerf as kenner van uitnemendheid van die geskiedenis van die Vrystaat en van die Anglo-Boereoorlog, en as biograaf van die Vrystaatse "driemanskap", dr JD Kestell, genl CR de Wet en President MT Steyn. Standaardwerke oor hierdie drie leiersfigure is na sy aftrede as "ereskuld" aan die Afrikaner voltooi; die jongste, oor Steyn, het pas voor sy dood die lig gesien. 'n Ander pragwerk van hom is Die Bittereinde Vrede, in die genommerde Africana-reeks, Die Erwe van ons Vaad're. Prof Tienie het ook sedert die sestigerjare intensief navorsing gedoen oor die Rebellie van 1914-15, maar is deur sy afsterwe verhinder om wat na verwagting 'n monumentale bydrae tot die Afrikaner se geskiedskrywing sou wees, af te handel. Etlike artikels hieroor het wel oor jare heen uit sy pen verskyn, terwyl 'n aspek daarvan, oor genl JCG Kemp se destydse epiese woestyntog, ná aftrede in boekvorm gedek is. 'n Gedenkteken vir die Rebelle is ook, op sy inisiatief, in die Willem Pretorius Wildreservaat in die Vrystaat opgerig. Kort voor sy dood het prof Tienie sy Rebellie-navorsing en verwante boekery en publikasies aan ondergetekende, as vroeëre kollega wat die pad van die politieke geskiedenis in die sestigerjare saam verken het (deur die vestiging van die Politieke Argief), oorgedra. Met die versoek om dit te voltooi. Minder bekend, is dat prof Tienie ook 'n produktiewe hoofartikelskrywer vir Die Volksblad was, en ongeveer 450 bydraes vir Saterdag-uitgawes van dié blad gelewer het. Naas etlike dosyne boekresensies, en tientalle artikels oor fasette van die Vrystaatse geskiedenis. Sy besondere kennis van, en voorliefde vir klassieke musiek en voëls, is verdere kenmerke van hierdie veelsydige mens. Jaap Steyn vertolk die intieme kennis wat talle kollegas en vriende van hom saamdra, as hy na hom verwys as "een van die onderhoudendste geselsers oor sy vak wat ek ooit teengekom het". Dit strook ook met die siening van oud-leerlinge van hom, by Sentraal Hoërskool in Bloemfontein in die vroeë vyftigerjare, en van oud-studente wat by hom klas gehad het, as "boeiend en energiek" in die aanbieding van sy vak. 'n Doktorale student beskryf die studieleiding wat hy van prof Tienie ontvang het as "die wonderlikste tyd van my lewe". "Veelkantig" en "totaal-mens ... kollega van kwaliteit in die omvattende sin wat hart en verstand insluit", só is hy in 1985 deur Latyn-professor en kollega, WJ Richards gehuldig. Van hom kan tereg gesê word, soos by die begrafnis van sy groot historiese held, genl Christiaan de Wet: "Stil, broers: dáár gaan 'n man verby!" PF van der Schyff 7 Augustus 2009 Erkenning:
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