Tony Burisch of the Heidelberg Heritage Association awarded the latest blue plaque to Dettman’s house in Pretorius Street to Tom and Magda van Dyk on April 1.
The house was possibly built around 1896.
Johann Freidrich Wilhelm Dettman was born on January 25, 1856, in Germany. His father was Johann Dettman and his mother, Frederike (née Thede).
Dettman married Christiana (née Schemel), who was born in Stutterheim on September 30, 1860. Together, they had eight children.
Dettman was a master wagon builder. Dettman owned the shop at the corner of HF Verwoerd (Church Street) and Voortrekker streets (Market Street).
The property next door was used as a stop for oxen and ox-wagons. The oxen would drink water out of the “Dorpsspruit” that ran through the property.
With the oxen lounging and relaxing at the spruit, it was called “uitspan”.
Dettman died on November 3, 1933, and Christiana on July 24, 1943. Their burial plot is in the Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery.
