Annemarie Krzesinski - de Widt

Transcriber, translator and editor of historical documents

Annemarie de Widt was born on 12 May 1944 in Meppel, The Netherlands, where she was educated.
After her marriage to Tony Krzesinski, the couple settled in Stellenbosch in 1974. They have two daughters: Erma and Meike.

 

 

'Twenty-five years ago Annemarie Krzesinski first set eyes on the microfiche in the reference library of the Stellenbosch Museum. During the following quarter of a century she spent many long hours behind her typewriter and later behind the computer keyboard to make accessible the old estate inventories of Stellenbosch for general research. It was a demanding task requiring dedication, knowledge and enormous determination. Hard and necessarily accurate work for little money, so often the lot of the committed enthusiast, was also her fate. However, the incredible service benefit thus provided to Stellenbosch and all those who have an interest in the history of our beautiful town will live on as a monument, not only of her love for her adopted home, but also as lasting reminder of what can be achieved with little money and limitless enthusiasm.' Marius le Roux in the introducton to the books

A faksimile of an original document
Click to enlarge

Books:
Die Boedelinventarisse van Erflaters in die Distrik Stellenbosch 1679-1806
5 volumes, Stellenbosch Museum, 2003

Books and CD ROM are available from the Stellenbosch Museum

During the rule of the Dutch East India Company at the Cape an inventory with valuation was compiled of the movable and immovable property left by each deceased person in order to determine the duty payable. The names, a list of the assets in the estate, the address of the premises and the names and ages of the remaining partner, children and slaves are given, while items are listed by room and priced. The number of cattle, debtors and creditors are also often mentioned.

'In 1979 the tercentenary of Stellenbosch was celebrated with the publication of the book STELLENBOSCH THREE CENTURIES. In 1976 many historical documents from the Cape Town Archives Repository relating to the history of Stellenbosch were recorded on microfiche. The purpose was to make these documents more readily available to the contributors of that publication. These microfiches were brought to Stellenbosch and are still preserved in the reference library of the Stellenbosch Museum.
A number of Stellenbosch estate inventories were transcribed and the information was used for a chapter in the 1979 publication. In time it was felt that the remainder of the microfiche material could be put to better use. Since very few people are proficient in reading the old handwriting, all the estate inventories relating to Stellenbosch needed to be transcribed if they were to be accessible to all researchers.'
Annemarie Krzesinski - de Widt in the introduction to the books