Rissik Street: The remarkable life of Johann Frederick Bernhard Rissik
Rissik Street is more than a name on a signpost. It honours Johann Rissik, whose work helped lay out major towns, define borders and shape SA’s infrastructure.
Heidelberg’s streets have long served as important links between people and places, with several named after historical figures. Among them is Rissik Street, named after Johann Frederick Bernhard Rissik.
He was born on February 2, 1857, in Linschoten, Utrecht, in the Netherlands, where he received his education.
Rissik emigrated with his parents to Pretoria in the then Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) in 1876. His father was Gerrit Hendrik Rissik, and his mother was Neeltjie Rissik.
Johann married Maria Magdalena Wilhelmina Leibbrand, and they had four children.
Johann first helped his father in his medical dispensary. He started his career in 1883 as a clerk with the surveyor general of the ZAR, was then promoted to acting surveyor general and later appointed to the position of land surveyor.
In this capacity, he laid out the towns of Benoni and, more famously, Johannesburg, which is named after him.
In 1887, he represented the presidency of the ZAR in negotiations with Mozambique to define their border and welcomed the first train on the Netherlands-Zuid-Afrikaanse Spoorwegmaatschappij (NZASM) Eastern Line.
After the peace of the South African War, Johann refused a position in Lord Alfred Milner’s legislative council, but served on various commissions dealing with infrastructure, such as railways, water supply and public buildings.
When the Union was declared in 1910, Johann was appointed as the first administrator of the Transvaal Province and reappointed in 1915.
After the end of his term, he resigned to serve as commissioner for Railways and Harbours, a position he held until his death in Johannesburg on August 26, 1925.
James Rissik, the eldest son of Rissik’s sister, Anna Maria Rissik, was born in an ox wagon while his parents were trekking from Heidelberg to Pretoria for the expected birth in May 1886. Of further interest is that Anna Maria was married to William McLaren.
McLaren himself is etched into Heidelberg’s rich history.
References: HSRC. 1981. Dictionary of South African Biography Volume IV. Pretoria: Butterworth & Co (SA) for Human Sciences Research Council;
Ploeger, Jan. 1994. Nederlanders in die Transvaal 1850–1950.
