Published: 2018-09-141

Natural Environment of South Africa in Reports of Poles (16 th – 20 th c.)

Arkadiusz Żukowski
Humanities and Natural Sciences
Section: Articles
https://doi.org/10.31648/hip.910

Abstract

The paper contains several reports of Poles concerning the natural enviromnent of South Africa, seen in retrospect of over 400 years. South Africa, until nowdays, was per­ceived not only as a remote, but also a. an interesting and exotic country. Such a view influenced the character of reports which, first of all, used to emphasize variety and richnest of South Africa.n nature. The envi­ronment was believed to be an ideal place for hunting. Many Poles visiting South Afri­ca used to express their surprise at the fact that two different worlds: of virgin nature and of the European civilization exist there side by side.

The two places that were most often described were the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Town with its surroundings. The first detailed descripłion of interior was given by Antoni. Rehman in the seventies of the 19th c. Polish scientists who participated in the 15th International Geological Congress in Pretoria in 1929: Walery Goetel, Jan Lewiń­ski, Józef Morozewicz, and Jerzy Loth, were also writing about the natural environment. of South Africa. Today there appear more and more reports on the subject, which is probably connected with a complex social and political situation of South Africa.

 

Keywords:

Polish emigrants in South Africa, emigration, natural environment of South Africa, Polish explorers, South Africa, the Republic of South Africa, Polish-South African relations

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Citation rules

Żukowski, A. (2018). Natural Environment of South Africa in Reports of Poles (16 th – 20 th c.). Humanities and Natural Sciences, 165–175. https://doi.org/10.31648/hip.910

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