Welkom by die Beyers Naudé Argief




At the Beyers Naudé  Archive we host and interpret documents with regard to Beyers Naudé, the Christian Institute and other dissidents. The following collections have been archived and made available for research purposes:

(We invite you to explore by clicking on the description of the various collections) 

Completed Collections

The Ilse Naudé Collection

Most of the sermons and speeches delivered by Beyers Naudé from the 1930's to the 1990's (approximately 1 400), which are handwritten by him, has been donated to the BN archive by his wife.  These documents have categorised and are being duplicated, where after they are to be bound and made available for research. The original documents are housed in the DRC Archive for safe keeping. This collection has been incorporated in the BN Archive database and all the material will soon be available digitally.

The Pro-Veritate Collection

With the help of various donors, the BN Archive is thankful to report that a complete collection of Pro Veritate (a Christian monthly journal published by the Christian Institute of Southern Africa from 1962 to 1977) is housed at the Archive. Articles in Pro Veritate reflected a theological and Christian point of view on a wide range of topics during the Apartheid era of South Africa). These publications have been duplicated, bound and are available for research purposes. The original copies are housed in the DRC Archive for safe keeping. This collection has been incorporated in the BN Archive database.

The Christian Institute (CI) Collection 

This is a comprehensive collection which consists of the following:  the history, planning and constitution; monthly newsletters; director's reports; bible studies; general administration of the head office as well as that of the regional offices consisting of agendas, minutes, reports, financial statements of all the structures of the CI namely the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Management Committee as well as the Annual General Meetings; correspondence by and to BN and the CI; criticism on BN and CI;  documents pertaining to the commission chaired by Jimmy Kruger, Schlebusch and L le Grange into the CI and other organisations; a duplicate copy of the file which was kept by the apartheid government on BN; the banning of BN and others as well as the discontinuation of the CI.  Furthermore, this collection also has documents with regard to related matters i.e. Sharpeville; Cottesloe; SA Council of Churches; Soweto uprising. This collection is available for research purposes and incorporated in the BN archive database.

Collection of files (two) held by the security police on Beyers Naudé  and the South African Council of Churches

Etienne de Villiers Collection

General information as well as publications of the World Council of Churches (international and National).

In process and future collections

Russel Botman

Donation of Russel Botman's books available at the Stellenbosch University Theology Library and Information Service

Karl Barth


Dietrich Bonhoeffer


Bernard Lategan


Ben Marais