City Buzz wants you to know your surroundings by identifying the public art in Johannesburg’s CBD.
Johannesburg’s inner-city can be a scary and daunting place to navigate.
With the number of reported crimes that take place, numerous taxis taking over the roads and thousands of people passing through the streets each day, it can all be quite overwhelming.
Certain landmarks and artworks can help you identify your surroundings and this particular piece is a longstanding reminder of the rich history of Johannesburg.
Do you know where this statue is?
This meaningful piece of art is found outside a court that has brought judgement on some of the country’s most prominent cases to date.
In 2010, Jackie Selebi, the former South African National Commissioner of Police, went on trial there and was found guilty of corruption. If you guessed that this statue stands outside the South Gauteng High Court, better known as Johannesburg High Court, on the corner of Pritchard and von Brandis streets, then you’d be correct.
ThIS historical artwork is a statue of Carl von Brandis who has important ties to the history of the City of Gold. He was the mining commissioner in the 1880s, clearing his site for digging in 1886 and striking gold in the area that was set to become our favourite city.
He later became the first magistrate in the City of Johannesburg and, following his many successes in the city, a number of venues, streets and monuments were built and named in his honour around the city.
The statue was created by David MacGregor in 1965, according to Alastair Mclachlan , but City of Johannesburg explained that as Joburg entered the 21st century, the city was in a poor state, as was the monument.
In 2008, the area was rejuvenated, removing the fence that held Von Brandis prisoner and giving a new look to the High Court.
There’s a story at every corner of the CBD, so keep your eyes open the next time you explore.
