Gerrit Maritz

For the later Boer leader, see Manie Maritz.

Gerhardus Marthinus (Gert or Gerrit) Maritz (1 March 1797 – 23 September 1838), was a Voortrekker pioneer and leader, wagon builder.

Gerhardus Martinus Maritz
The statue of Gerrit Maritz by sculptor Jo Roos (1926-2010)
Born	(1797-03-01)1 March 1797
Died	23 September 1838(1838-09-23) (aged 41) Sooilaer (Maritzdam), Klein-Tugela river
Resting place	Reburied near Blaauwkranz monument 28°51′02″S 29°50′34″E
Nationality	Afrikaner
Occupation(s)	Ward master, provisional Field cornet, wagon builder
Known for	Voortrekker leader
Spouse	Angenitha Maria Olivier
Children	Salamo Stephanus Cornelis Johannes Francois Debora Susanna Sophia Gerhardus Jacobus Johannes Stephanus Maria Magdalena
Parent(s)	Salamo Maritz (c.1769-1828), Maria Elisabeth Oosthuijsen (1777-1846)

Gerrit Maritz was the son of Salamo Stefanus Maritz and Maria Elizabeth Oosthuizen. He married Agnita Maria Olivier and later Anna Carolina Agatha van Rooyen and from them he fathered six children.

See also

• Graaff-Reinet: Gerrit Maritz, Great Trek Leader after whom Pietermaritzburg was partly named was a wagon-maker in the town.
• Pietermaritzburg: There exist two interpretations about the origin of the city's name. One is that it was named after Piet Retief and Gerrit Maritz, two famous Voortrekker leaders.

Sources

• Bulpin, Thomas Victor; Krüger, Daniel Wilhelmus (1976). The Great Trek. Round the world histories. Vol. 33 (2 ed.). Hulton. p. 52.
• Room, Adrian (2006). Placenames of the world: origins and meanings of the names for 6,600 countries, cities, territories, natural features, and historic sites (2 ed.). McFarland. p. 295. ISBN 0-7864-2248-3.
• Thom, H.B. (1947). Die Lewe van Gert Maritz. Cape Town: Nasionale Pers, Beperk. p. 284.

Further reading

• Kuschke, Jazz (2006) The wagon maker with Woema - tracking Gerrit Maritz' life story, Getaway.co.za, 1 September 2006.