Paul Kruger House Museum

Lonely Planet review

A short walk west from Church Sq, the former residence of Paul Kruger is now the Paul Kruger House Museum. It's interesting but, partly due to its setting right on a busy street, it's difficult to get a feeling for the man, despite the fact that he was undoubtedly an extraordinary human being. There are clues, however. The house is unpretentious, although there would have been few grander homes when it was built in 1883.

Among all sorts of bric-a-brac there's the knife that Kruger used to amputate his thumb after a shooting accident. The Dutch Reformed Church, where he worshipped and preached, is across the road. Immediately left of the house is the neo-Georgian 1932 Pass Office. Hated by blacks for its function of economic and racial segregation, the building was nevertheless known to them as GaMothle, 'Beautiful Place', because the friezes and tableaux decorating it represented black African peoples. Sadly it's now falling into disrepair and is not open to the public, but there are interesting explanations of its history outside.