Johanna Brandt
Encyclopedia
Johanna Brandt was a South Africa
n propagandist of Afrikaner nationalism, spy during the Boer War
, prophet and writer on controversial health subjects.
whilst her mother's family had been early emigrants to southern Africa.
Brandt was educated for two years at the Good Hope Seminary for Young Ladies in Cape Town
. When her father died in 1892, Johanna and her mother set out for a six-month tour of Europe.
At the start of the Second Boer War
in 1899, Johanna volunteered along with three of her brothers. She served as a nurse until the British captured Pretoria
, the capital of the Transvaal
. The Boers did not immediately surrender, however, and a long guerrilla war began.
It was during this second phase of the Boer War that Brandt, who was living in Pretoria, became active for the Boer cause. She organised women to spy on British officers and hid prisoners who were on the run. It was her actions that led to W.T.Stead running an article in the Review of Reviews about the appalling conditions in the Irene Concentration Camp, which contributed to a decline in British public support for the war.
After the war she wrote her own account of the Irene Concentration Camp, but her most well-known book was The Petticoat Commando, which told of her and her mother's exploits during the Boer War. The book is dedicated to her mother, "As a peace offering for having brought her into publicity in direct opposition to her wishes". The Van Warmelos' house, which they called Harmony became a centre for the British occupying force. Johanna (who calls herself "Hansie" in the book) is shown as headstrong, and she and her mother exploit the British estimation of the two Boer women as harmless.
Among the high-ranking British officers quartered nearby included Lord Kitchener
, Lord Roberts
and the Duke of Westminster
.
The Van Warmelos were largely left in peace by their "guests". This misplaced trust may have been due to Johanna's brother-in-law, Henry Cloete, who was married to her oldest sister. Cloete was a former British agent in South Africa and had been appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
by Queen Victoria. In their role of harmless civilians, Johanna and her mother were able to collect information on the movements of soldiers and ammunition, and they smuggled this information out using letters written in invisible ink
made from lemon juice.
In 1902 Johanna married a minister, Louis Ernst Brandt. She had become so well-known that messages of congratulations came from the leaders of countries.
, seized this opportunity to declare South Africa's independence. When the Maritz Rebellion
was crushed by the South African government 6 months later, the Nasionale Vroueparty, or National Women's Party, was formed in the Transvaal. Its purpose was to work to free the rebels and to care for their families, as well as to serve as an auxiliary for the National Party. Brandt served as secretary at the party's first congress, held in Johannesburg
.
, a contemporary, who taught a Grape Cure course, according to Sylvia Saltman. The conclusions expressed by Brandt in The Grape Cure have been denounced as "quackery", however, Brandt's book was an influence for South African author, Essie Honiball
, who wrote I Live On Fruit, and Basil Shackleton, author of The Grape Cure: A Personal Testament.
and Winston Churchill
. Johanna Brandt appears on the 1.30 Rand stamp together with Sol Plaatje
and the Anglo-Boer War Medal.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n propagandist of Afrikaner nationalism, spy during the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
, prophet and writer on controversial health subjects.
Biography
Johanna van Warmelo was born on the 18 November 1876, to Pastor Nicolaas Jacobus van Warmelo and his second wife Maria Magdalena Elizabeth Maré. Her father was a Dutch Reformed minister from the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
whilst her mother's family had been early emigrants to southern Africa.
Brandt was educated for two years at the Good Hope Seminary for Young Ladies in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. When her father died in 1892, Johanna and her mother set out for a six-month tour of Europe.
At the start of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in 1899, Johanna volunteered along with three of her brothers. She served as a nurse until the British captured Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, the capital of the Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
. The Boers did not immediately surrender, however, and a long guerrilla war began.
It was during this second phase of the Boer War that Brandt, who was living in Pretoria, became active for the Boer cause. She organised women to spy on British officers and hid prisoners who were on the run. It was her actions that led to W.T.Stead running an article in the Review of Reviews about the appalling conditions in the Irene Concentration Camp, which contributed to a decline in British public support for the war.
After the war she wrote her own account of the Irene Concentration Camp, but her most well-known book was The Petticoat Commando, which told of her and her mother's exploits during the Boer War. The book is dedicated to her mother, "As a peace offering for having brought her into publicity in direct opposition to her wishes". The Van Warmelos' house, which they called Harmony became a centre for the British occupying force. Johanna (who calls herself "Hansie" in the book) is shown as headstrong, and she and her mother exploit the British estimation of the two Boer women as harmless.
Among the high-ranking British officers quartered nearby included Lord Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
, Lord Roberts
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
and the Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster GCVO DSO was the son of Victor Alexander Grosvenor, Earl Grosvenor and Lady Sibell Mary Lumley, the daughter of the 9th Earl of Scarborough...
.
The Van Warmelos were largely left in peace by their "guests". This misplaced trust may have been due to Johanna's brother-in-law, Henry Cloete, who was married to her oldest sister. Cloete was a former British agent in South Africa and had been appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
by Queen Victoria. In their role of harmless civilians, Johanna and her mother were able to collect information on the movements of soldiers and ammunition, and they smuggled this information out using letters written in invisible ink
Invisible ink
Invisible ink, also known as security ink, is a substance used for writing, which is invisible either on application or soon thereafter, and which later on can be made visible by some means. Invisible ink is one form of steganography, and it has been used in espionage...
made from lemon juice.
In 1902 Johanna married a minister, Louis Ernst Brandt. She had become so well-known that messages of congratulations came from the leaders of countries.
World War I
Brandt remained involved in South African nationalist politics. When the British declared war on Germany in August 1914, they transferred the garrison in South Africa to the European front. Several Boer officers, led by Lieutenant Colonel Manie MaritzManie Maritz
Manie Maritz was a Boer General during the Second Boer War and a leading rebel of the 1914 Boer Revolt.Maritz was born in Kimberly and christened Salmon Gerhardus Maritz and also known as Gerrit Maritz....
, seized this opportunity to declare South Africa's independence. When the Maritz Rebellion
Maritz Rebellion
The Maritz Rebellion or the Boer Revolt or the Five Shilling Rebellion, occurred in South Africa in 1914 at the start of World War I, in which men who supported the recreation of the old Boer republics rose up against the government of the Union of South Africa...
was crushed by the South African government 6 months later, the Nasionale Vroueparty, or National Women's Party, was formed in the Transvaal. Its purpose was to work to free the rebels and to care for their families, as well as to serve as an auxiliary for the National Party. Brandt served as secretary at the party's first congress, held in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
Health writings
Brandt published about twenty pamphlets on the subject of natural remedies for health problems. Her best-known publications are The Grape Cure and Fasting Book. The Grape Cure is said to have been written after Brandt cured herself of stomach cancer. The book may have been inspired by the writings of Arnold EhretArnold Ehret
Arnold Ehret was a German health educator and author of several books on diet, detoxification, fruitarianism, fasting, food combining, health, longevity, naturopathy, physical culture and vitalism.- Background :...
, a contemporary, who taught a Grape Cure course, according to Sylvia Saltman. The conclusions expressed by Brandt in The Grape Cure have been denounced as "quackery", however, Brandt's book was an influence for South African author, Essie Honiball
Essie Honiball
Essie Honiball , is a South African author and health educator in the fields of fruitarianism, fasting and natural healing.-Biography:Early life...
, who wrote I Live On Fruit, and Basil Shackleton, author of The Grape Cure: A Personal Testament.
Prophesy
Brandt wrote about revelations that were made to her on the evening of her mother's death on 7 December 1917 in Pretoria. She published these prophetic revelations in a book called The Millennium in 1918. Her other religious work was the Paraclets, or Coming Home Mother which was published in 1936. The works include prophecies for South Africa in which she warns the "tribes" that they must heed their "masters" and of a "dark future". After an alleged angel's revelation in 1916, Brandt is reported to have spoken of South Africans as the chosen race and of Johannesburg being attacked by black people.Legacy
In 2000, the South African Post office created a series of stamps about the writers of the Boer War, including Sir Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
and Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. Johanna Brandt appears on the 1.30 Rand stamp together with Sol Plaatje
Sol Plaatje
Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje was a South African intellectual, journalist, linguist, politician, translator, and writer. The Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, which includes the city of Kimberley, was named after him.-Early life:...
and the Anglo-Boer War Medal.
Major works
- Het concentratie-kamp van Iréne (Amsterdam: Hollandsch-Afrikaansche Uitgevers-Maatschappij, 1905).
- Die Kappie Kommando, of Boerevrouwen in Geheime Dienst (Amsterdam: J. H. De Bussy & Hollandsch-Afrikaansche Uitgevers-Maatschappij, 1913).
- The Petticoat Commando, or Boer Women in Secret Service (London: Mills & Boon, 1913).
- Die Millenium, een voorspelling (Bloemfontein, Eigenverlag 1918).
- The Millenium – A Prophetic Message to the Native Tribes of South Africa (1918).
- Die smeltkroes (1920).
- The Grape Cure, USA: Metaphysical Concepts, 1927. http://www.metaphysical-concepts.com/categories/cancer.htm
- Fasting (describes her visions & spiritual experiences when fasting)
- The Fasting-Book: a book on the creation and redemption of the body, Edition 2, De Nationale Pers, 1931, 229 pages.
External links
- Brandt, Joanna Testimonial at Fruitarian.Com Article
- Arnold Ehret at WikipediaArnold EhretArnold Ehret was a German health educator and author of several books on diet, detoxification, fruitarianism, fasting, food combining, health, longevity, naturopathy, physical culture and vitalism.- Background :...