Did You Know?
The Douglas Damat Gedenkdam is a concrete swimming pool completed in 1938 at Laerskool Prieska (Prieska Primary School) in the Northern Cape town of Prieska. The pool was built as a memorial to Douglas Damat, who drowned in the Orange River on 18 October 1935. The memorial pool was likely constructed to provide a safe swimming alternative to the dangerous river, which has strong currents and has claimed many lives over the years. Prieska, located on the banks of the Orange River, was established in 1882 and grew as a farming and later mining centre. The school itself dates to the late 19th century, and the 1930s saw significant public works and memorial projects in South African towns, often funded by local communities and school committees. The pool remains a historical feature of the school, reflecting a local response to a tragic drowning and the era's emphasis on communal remembrance and safety infrastructure.
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