Abraham Fischer (9 April 1850 – 16 November 1913) was a South African statesman. He was the sole

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

of the

Orange River Colony The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Unio ...

in South Africa, and when that ceased to exist joined the cabinet of the newly formed

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa (; , ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day South Africa, Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the British Cape Colony, Cape, Colony of Natal, Natal, Tra ...

Early life

Fischer was born on 9 April 1850 in

Green Point, Cape Town Green Point () is an affluent suburb on the Atlantic Seaboard of Cape Town, South Africa, located to the north west of the central business district. It is home to Cape Town Stadium, a major sporting venue that was built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup ...

in to Johannes Jacobus George Fischer, formerly of the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

, and Catherina Anna Margertha Brink.Braam Fischer: The Man with Two Faces, Afrikaanse Pers, Chris Vermaak, 1963

Biography

He was educated at the

South African College The South African College was an educational institution in Cape Town, South Africa, which developed into the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the South African College Schools (SACS). History The process that would lead to the formation of th ...

, and became a lawyer in

Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...

, joining the bar in 1875. In 1873 he married Ana Robertson (1851-1927), the daughter of Scottish immigrants to the Free State. He became interested in the politics of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( ; ) was an independent Boer-ruled sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeated and surrendered to the British Em ...

, and in 1878 became a member of the Orange Free State's

Volksraad The Volksraad was a people's assembly or legislature in Dutch or Afrikaans speaking government. Assembly South Africa * Volksraad (South African Republic) (1840–1902) * Volksraad (Natalia Republic), a similar assembly that existed in the Natalia ...

. He became vice-president of the Volksraad in 1893, a member of the executive council in 1896, and took part in many colonial and interstate conferences. He headed a joint deputation from

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''. * South African Republic (1856–1902; ...

and Orange Free State to Europe and America during the

Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic an ...

to solicit support for the Boers, returning in 1903 to practice law in the newly formed Orange River Colony. Continuing to promote the Boer cause, he helped form the

Orangia Unie Orangia Unie (United Orange) was a political party established in May 1906 in the Orange River Colony (formerly the Orange Free State) under the leadership of Abraham Fischer, Martinus Theunis Steyn and J. B. M. Hertzog. When the colony gained s ...

party in May 1906 and became its chairman; the party won the majority of seats in the colony's first elections that were held in November 1907. On 27 November, he was chosen as Prime Minister, and stayed in that position until it ceased to exist with the union of 31 May 1910. He then joined the cabinet of the

as Minister of Lands. He was made Privy Councillor in 1911 and became Minister of the Interior and Lands in 1912. He was the father of Percy Fischer, a Judge President of the

. He was the grandfather of

Bram Fischer Abraham Louis Fischer (23 April 19088 May 1975) was a South African Communist lawyer of Afrikaner descent with partial Anglo-African ancestry from his paternal grandmother, notable for anti-apartheid activism and for the legal defence of anti- ...

, a noted anti-apartheid activist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Abraham 1850 births 1913 deaths Afrikaner people Members of the Volksraad of the Orange Free State Members of the House of Assembly (South Africa) South African Party (Union of South Africa) politicians Ministers of home affairs of South Africa South African members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Alumni of South African College Schools Cape Colony politicians