Robben Island, World Heritage Site in South Africa

Robben Island is a small island located about 12 km from Cape Town in the southwestern part of South Africa. It was used for various purposes such as a prison, isolation ward, and base from the 17th to 20th century. It is also famous as a concentration camp where political prisoners such as Nelson Mandela were held from the late 20th century, Today, it is registered as a World Heritage site as a symbol of freedom from apartheid.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why Robben Island is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about Robben Island!

What is Robben Island? Where the prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned is located

Cape Town, in South Africa’s southwest, is one of the largest cities in Africa. Robben Island, off its coast, derives from the Dutch word meaning “seal”. Originally a quarry in the 16th century, it began to be used as a prison in the 17th century.As South Africa was a Dutch colony at the time, political prisoners were housed here, and in the 19th century it was also used as an isolation facility for leprosy patients.

The island also retains military bases and other facilities used during World War II. However, although Robben Island is associated with the image of a concentration camp, it did not begin to function as a camp in earnest until the 1960s.

When apartheid began in South Africa in 1948, this was the place where many political prisoners were incarcerated, including over 3,000 activists and criminals. The most famous of these is Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), a Nobel Peace Prize winner. He spent 27 years here; the prison closed in 1996 and became a museum in 1997.

Robben Island was registered as a World Heritage site as a legacy of the harsh conditions of the apartheid era Initially, ICOMOS had a negative evaluation of the site, but the proposal by then World Heritage Committee Chairman Koichiro Matsuura and others led to its registration. Today, it is a “negative heritage” and a place to learn about history that humankind should reflect on.

For what reason is Robben Island on the World Heritage List?

Robben Island was recognized for the following

Registration Criteria (iii)
The point is that the remaining architecture on Robben Island is a place that tells the story of human tragedy.

Registration Criteria (vi)
The point is that the site of the concentration camp on Robben Island has become a symbol of the human spirit for freedom, the triumph of democracy, etc.

Conclusions and Impressions of a World Heritage Maniac

The site has been used as a prison since ancient times and is regarded as a place where the negative history of mankind remains. In particular, it is a place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for a long time, but continued his studies and laid the foundation for him to become president, and is also a symbol of freedom and democracy.

Incidentally, although it has a negative image as a World Heritage site… the island itself is inhabited by Cape penguins and is a bit of a healing place. In a sense, though, it may give you a sense of peace.

*The contents here are considerations derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the medium.