Robben Island
and all there is to know about it
Robben Island is a South African National Heritage Site as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located at the entrance to Table Bay, 11 km from Cape Town, this island was discovered by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488. For many years, it was used by Portuguese navigators and later by English and Dutch as a refueling station. Its current name in Dutch means “seal island” once plentiful in the surrounding waters.
​
In 1654 the settlers of the Dutch Cape Colony placed all their 'ewes' and a few 'rams' as they were formerly known on Robben Island. These translate to shelters and informal settlements. The isolation offered better protection against wild animals than on the mainland. The settlers also collected seal skins and boiled oil to supply the needs of the settlement.
Since the end of the 17th century, Robben Island has been used for the imprisonment of mainly political prisoners. The Dutch settlers were the first to use Robben Island as a prison. The island housed a leper colony from 1846 to 1931, and those judged insane were also sent there.
​
From the mid-1960s to 1991 Robben Island served as South Africa’s maximum-security prison. Most inmates, including Nelson Mandela, were black men incarcerated for political offenses. The last of these prisoners were released in 1991. The island continued to serve as a medium-security prison for criminal offenders until 1996. In 1997 it was turned into a museum and declared a national monument, and in 1999 it received designation as a World Heritage site.
The island has become a popular tourist destination. It is managed by the Robben Island Museum (RIM) which operates the site as a living museum. In 1999, the island was declared a World Heritage Site for its importance to South Africa's political history and development of a democratic society.
​
Island, Afrikaans Robbeneiland, island in Table Bay, Western Cape province, South Africa. It is 8 km west of the mainland and 10 km north of Cape Town. Its name is the Dutch word for “seals,” once plentiful in the surrounding waters. The island was a common stopping point for passing ships in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The island housed a leper colony from 1846 to 1931, and those judged insane were also sent there.
​
robben island