THE SWISS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA 1652-1970 - swissroots-za.ch

Hibelen, Francois born Bern [Hiebler of Leuggern AG?]. 1789 soldier, sick. / KAB,
MR 1789.
Steyner, Fredrik born Berne [Steiner?], arrived 1789. Released from service, a
batchelor normally residing at the house of Wilhelmina Magdalena Andriessen, was
27.12.1794 reported to be at the Warmbaths seeking relief from sickness. / KAB, C
1064, p. 71.
Vogel, Johan Caspar born Schaffhausen SH, arrived 24.3.1789 on Nederlands
Welvaren for Kamer Amsterdam. 1 Three days after leaving Cape Town for the East, this
ship was taken by two English frigates and forced to sail for Plymouth. 2 1789-1795
soldier. 3 / 1 KAB, MR 1789; 2 Bruyn: Dutch Asiatic Shipping; 3 KAB, BO 93.
Eygenberg, Joseph born Zurich [Eichenberger?]. 1791 soldier, sick. / KAB, MR
1791.
Macé, Jean, Swiss?, Surgeon of Regiment Meuron stationed in Ceylon. 1791/92 spent
some months at the Cape while on his way to Tricomnalee. Travelled along the Cape
east coast and sent botanical specimens to botanist Sir Joseph Banks. / Gunn & Codd, p.
237.
Mertz, Fredrik born Berne [Merz?]. 1792-1793 soldier, in that time he spent 5 ½
months in hospital. / KAB, C 1065, p. 3.
Hoekener, Emanuel born Berne [Hugener of AG or ZG?]. 1792 guilty together with
two others, of stealing stinkwood planks, punished with flagellation. / KAB, CJ 796: 19.
Bronner [Bronner or Brunner?], Christiaan born Bern. 1792 Second Class gunner 1
at surrender September 1795 absent. 2 / 1 KAB, BKR 9, Monthly Roll, November 1792; 2
KAB, BO 193.
A GOOD TEACHER
Ziegler, Johan Jacob born Schaffhausen 5.2.1766, son of Tobias Ziegler. Cornelius de
Jong in Reizen 1 describes schools at the Cap in 1792 as very poor, imparting no more
than extremely rudimentary knowledge of reading and writing. Anyone wishing his
children to have a better education had to hire his own teacher – and good teachers were
not easily found. De Jongh then mentions that “A Swiss imported by De Wet” was
doing praiseworthy work. This was Johan Jacob Ziegler of Schaffhausen who arrived
here in 1792 for Olof de Wet, a Senior Merchant and judge in the service of the
Company. Ziegler was entrusted with the education of De Wet’s grand-children and
also the children of some other senior Company officials.
Two years later Ziegler decided to organise his teaching activities properly. 2 He
requested and was granted permission to open a private teaching establishment to cater
for 12 pupils between the ages of eight and twelve. They would be taught from 8 to 11
in the morning and from 2 to 4 in the afternoon. The curriculum offered geography,
history, natural sciences, mathematics, Dutch and French. Latin was to be offered after
normal hours to those who wished it. He would strive to gain the respect and love of his
pupils, would not administer corporal punishment and expected the parents to see to it
that the pupils did their homework diligently.
APOTHECARY WITH ITS OWN MEDICINAL GARDEN
Amongst his pupils Ziegler had the sons of Dr. Liesching, formerly surgeon in the
Wurttemberg Regiment stationed at the Cape 1787-1795. They became close friends –
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