Church Square, Pretoria

Church Square, Pretoria

The Church Square is the historic centre of Pretoria that was designated as a market place and churchyard by the founder of the city Marthinus Pretorius.

The Church Square is the historic centre of Pretoria that was designated as a market place and churchyard by the founder of the city Marthinus Pretorius. A succession of 3 churches stood at the center of the square from 1856 to 1905, which now features an elevated statue of former president Paul Kruger that was commissioned by industrialist Sammy Marks and sculpted by Anton van Wouw in 1896. The ensemble features statues of 4 anonymous Boer soldiers on a lower level of the plinth. The square is surrounded by beautiful old neo-classical buildings such as the Palace of Justice where Nelson Mandela and his associates were charged with treason during the infamous Rivonia Trial, the Old Capitol Theatre, National Bank and Mint, Old Reserve Bank, Tudor Chambers, Our Raadsaal or Old Council Chamber, General Post Office, and the Old Nederlandsche Bank building which is now the tourism information centre.