World Heritage Identification Number: 916
World Heritage since: 1999
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇿🇦 South Africa
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Africa
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Robben Island: A Symbol of Resistance and Freedom
Robben Island, located approximately 6.9 kilometers west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa, bears a significant historical and cultural importance that transcends its geographical location. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, this island has been a stage for some of the most poignant moments in South African history, serving as a prison, a hospital, and a military base throughout the 17th to 20th centuries.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings, particularly those of the late 20th century such as the maximum security prison for political prisoners, witness the triumph of democracy and freedom over oppression and racism.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (iii): The buildings of Robben Island bear eloquent testimony to its sombre history. Criterion (vi): Robben Island and its prison buildings symbolize the triumph of the human spirit, of freedom, and of democracy over oppression.
Encyclopedia Record: Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the archaic Dutch word for seals (robben), hence the Dutch/Afrikaans name Robbeneiland, which translates to Seal(s) Island.Additional Site Details
Area: 475 hectares
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: -33.8 , 18.36666667
