Today in History: Marie Koopmans-De Wet dies
She packed the parcels personally and sent them to the women in the concentration camps during the South African War of 1899–1902.
Following in her father’s footsteps, Marie Koopmans-De Wet established herself in the social and cultural life of Cape Town.
In 1864, she married Johan Christoffel Koopmans, who was at the time an officer in the German Post Office.
In 1879, Johan Koopmans died. Marie wore black for the rest of her life and referred to herself as Marie Koopmans-De Wet in memory of her husband.
She played a prominent role during the South African War between 1899 and 1902, organising petitions and women’s meetings, and received about 2 000 boxes of relief goods from the Netherlands.
She packed them personally and sent them on to the women in the concentration camps.
Her house in Strand Street, Cape Town served as a depot for all the material she received. Marie and her sister, Margaretha Jacoba, were private owners of the house.
Marie died on 2 August 1906 at the age of 72, and her sister died on 18 October 1911 at the age of 73.
The terms of the women’s will bequeathed the house to the city, who declared it a museum in 1914.
The house is situated in Strand Street, Cape Town and is recorded as the oldest house in the country.
Information sourced from: South African History Online.
