About Middelburg

Middelburg was established as Nasareth, (root from dry land), in 1864 by the Voortrekkers on the banks of the Klein Olifants River. The name was changed in 1872 to Middelburg to mark its situation midway between the Transvaal capital Pretoria and the gold mining town of Lydenburg. A Dutch Reformed Church was built in 1890 and became a focal point in the area. The British built a large concentration camp in Middelburg during the Second Boer War. The Memorial Museum was built at the site next to the 1,381 graves of women and children died here. Columbus Stainless, a large stainless steel plant, is situated here. For many years, the industrial activities of the steel plant and its peripheral activities such as coal and transport, provided much of the employment and largely drove the economy of the town, although other sectors such as agriculture have gradually grown to be important.