Abstract (eng)
This historical master thesis attempts to investigate the fate of the Austrian family Kronenfeldt/Malcher, which travelled and lived in the region of King Williams Town, South Africa, in the second half of the 19th century.
This stay encompasses two generations and covers a timespan of roughly 20 years between 1860 and 1880.
Ernst von Kronenfeldt’s reason for travelling to South Africa was his being drafted into the British German Legion by Queen Victoria; the second generation, however, had quite different motives to stay there, as they were coproprietors in the company “Malcher & Malcomess.”
In addition to the economic interest of the family to see this very company prosper, the family would soon indulge in a vivid interest in ethnographic objects, which soon led to the creation of quite an impressive collection. The largest part of this collection is today in the possession of the Museum of Völkerkunde in Vienna, while a few objects are located in the Rolett Museum Baden.
Thus this thesis has two main objectives: on the one hand analyzing and working with the collection of the family itself is obviously of interest. On the other hand the impact of the family Kronenfeldt/Malcher on their South African environment, the way in which they lived their life, in which they tried to actively shape South African society in various initiatives, is of course also fascinating as it provides a deep insight in the historic relations between the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and this specific South African region.
The thesis is based on the analyses and comparison of written and photographic sources, which are predominantly the written memories of Josefine von Kronenfeldt and those of her daughter Adolfine Malcher. The close reading and study of these precious sources provides the basis for the historical reconstruction of the background and nature of the family’s residence in South Africa and also allows us to reconstruct the formation of their collection.
One of the most obvious conclusions of this thesis is thus the fact, that Adolfine Malcher can definitely be regarded as the most dedicated collector of “Zulu” and “Xhosa” ethnographic objects in her family.