Description
In the context of the Second Boer War (1899-1902), between Great Britain and two Boer Republics - The South African Republic of Transvaal and the Orange Free State- the concentration camps, where Boers were allocated, stand out as the epitome of contested British imperial governance and military practices. In 1901, Emily Hobhouse, a reformer and social worker, visited the concentration camps in South Africa and wrote a report describing and denouncing the inhuman living conditions in such places. Later on, museums of the war in South Africa were opened; memorials were erected and tours to battle fields and concentration camps were organized. Nowadays, several touristic activities are associated to the memory of the war, be it real or created, and Emily Hobhouse´s name evoked as a leading figure who “fought” the war through diplomacy and humanitarian action. In this paper, I intend to address the context that paved the way for the emergence of such places (and spaces), from the ideological and political point of view; to look at how they functioned, and to study the transformation they have undergone throughout the times and how/why they have become sites of interest for tourists.
