Sophiatown

E816236

Sophiatown was a vibrant, historically significant multiracial suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, known for its rich cultural and political life before its destruction under apartheid-era forced removals.

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Statements (56)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical neighborhood
suburb
associatedWith Drum magazine NERFINISHED
South African jazz
kwela music
marabi music
political meetings
shebeens
street gangs
country South Africa
culturalMovement Drum magazine generation
demolishedBy apartheid government of South Africa
demolishedFor white-only housing development
forcedRemovalsBegan 1955
forcedRemovalsEnded late 1950s
governedBy Group Areas Act NERFINISHED
hasMuseum Sophiatown Heritage and Cultural Centre NERFINISHED
heritageStatus important site of South African cultural memory
knownFor anti-apartheid resistance
forced removals
jazz music scene
literary culture
multiracial community
political activism
urban apartheid history
vibrant cultural life
locatedIn Gauteng
Johannesburg, South Africa
surface form: Johannesburg

Transvaal Province NERFINISHED
locatedOn Witwatersrand NERFINISHED
notableResident Can Themba NERFINISHED
Don Mattera NERFINISHED
Drum writers
Hugh Masekela NERFINISHED
Miriam Makeba NERFINISHED
Trevor Huddleston NERFINISHED
partOf City of Johannesburg NERFINISHED
peakCulturalPeriod 1940s
1950s
populationBeforeRemovals Chinese
Coloured
Indian
predominantly Black African
some white residents
racialPolicyContext apartheid
renamedAs Triomf NERFINISHED
Triomf in the 1960s NERFINISHED
replacedBy Triomf NERFINISHED
residentsRelocatedTo Meadowlands NERFINISHED
Soweto NERFINISHED
other townships around Johannesburg
restoredName Sophiatown in the 2000s
subjectOf novel "Triomf" by Marlene van Niekerk NERFINISHED
numerous South African songs
play "Sophiatown" by Junction Avenue Theatre Company NERFINISHED
timePeriod early 20th century to mid-20th century

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Frank Chikane placeOfBirth Sophiatown