John Hilary
German Jews and Cultural Patronage in South Africa

Several of the most important art galleries in South Africa owe their origins to German-Jewish donors who made their fortunes on the diamond fields of Kimberley and the gold mines of the Rand. John Hilary’s illustrated presentation examines the contributions made by the Beit, Michaelis, and Neumann families to the cultural history of South Africa, exploring their reasons for making the gifts and the political challenges that their donations encountered at the time and since.