Welcome to the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies

The Department of History was founded in 1908 as one of the first academic departments at the University of Pretoria (previously known as the Transvaal University College). The Department of Historical and Heritage Studies has its origins in the Department of History and the Department of Cultural History, which were established in 1909 and 1930 respectively. These two departments amalgamated in 1988 to become the Department of History and Cultural History. The name was changed to the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at the end of 2001, so as to more accurately reflect the additional disciplines and fields of study in which the Department is involved – Heritage and Cultural Tourism, and Heritage and Museum Studies.

The Department has as its goal the education and training of students with the general aim of academic growth, and the ultimate development of historians, museologists and specialists in the field of heritage and cultural tourism, as well as professional training for a variety of other professions.