Introduction

The National Afrikaans Literary Museum and Research Centre (NALN) serves as a key repository for literature, music, and drama in Afrikaans. Founded by the Free State provincial government on 24 March 1973, it is located in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Operating as a nonprofit organisation, its hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 16:00.

The collection encompasses roughly three quarters of a million items, including books, manuscripts, magazines, newspapers, sheet music, posters, and more. Unique artifacts such as furniture belonging to literary figures can also be viewed here. The museum’s grounds feature a garden where dignitaries have planted trees over the years, with busts of writers, musicians, and dramatists installed beneath them.

History

The Human Sciences Research Council initiated the use of the building as an archive for language and literature documents in 1970. By October 9, 1972, Gabriel Francois van Lingen Froneman, then Administrator of Free State, announced the establishment of the NALN, which was officially opened by Johannes Petrus van der Spuy on March 24, 1973.

Since 1996, there has been a renewed emphasis on works by black and Cape Coloured authors in Afrikaans. A decline in funding led to downsizing in 2007, resulting in the loss of significant professional expertise. The name was changed to the Afrikaans Literary Museum (ALM), operating as a local institution within Free State province.

A renovation attempt from 2002 caused a six-year disruption in activities. Exhibits covering an area of about 1500 square meters were updated to reflect a post-1994 perspective on Afrikaans literature.