Heidelberg founder Heinrich Ueckermann named the town after Heidelberg in Germany where he studied.
Ueckermann Street in Heidelberg has a rich history and many important people have left footprints along this route.
Some of the main buildings in the street are still used today, including:
Land Bank: The Land Bank was officially opened by Walter Harvey in 1922. Harvey was the local pharmacist and mayor at the time.
The building is built on the site where Ueckermann’s shop was built.
Ueckermann contracted Mr Fanin to survey Heidelberg. Fanin died two weeks later from Malaria that he contracted while in Nylstroom.
Heidelberg was proclaimed a town on March 28, 1866.
Magistrate’s Building: The building is still in operation.
According to reports, building started in October 1869.
According to the first constitution of 1858, Heidelberg would consist of a magistrate’s court and a court office to assist the magistrate.
Appeals were referred to the High Court, consisting of three magistrates and 12 members of the court as officials.
To qualify to serve one had to be entitled to vote for two years in a row, older than 30 years and a member of the Dutch Reformed Church.
The front door of the magistrate’s court is made out of wood from Admiral Nelson’s ship, Victory.
The first magistrate of Heidelberg was reported to be FK Maré. Maré was also a member of the High Court. A well-known lawyer who worked in the magistrate’s court was Adriaan von Geusau.
Von Geusau served as chairperson of the law society later on in his career. His admission certificate was signed by Dr Leyds, Paul Kruger’s state secretary.
In 1880, the Vierkleur was hoisted by Kruger, MW Pretorius, PJ Joubert at the court’s building.
Reports also suggest that Jan Smuts visited Heidelberg and conducted business within the magistrate’s court.
There is an old deed signed at Heidelberg by Smuts in October 1903 for the burial of Boer heroes in the Heroes Acre in the Kloof Cemetery.
Other notable buildings that were in the same street as the Landbank and that are not there anymore were the Post Office, ABSA, Barclays – FNB, Standard Bank (1886), Natal Bank, and Russels furniture store.
