Hendrik Spoorbek

Heinrich Schörbeck (alias Hendrik Spoorbek/Skoorbek; Born in Dortmund, Germany – Died 13 June 1845 in Tsitsikamma, Cape Colony) was a seer, healer and magician who settled in South Africa around 1811.

In Afrikaner legends he is commonly known as Hendrik Spoorbek / Skoorbek the “Towenaar” (Magician / Wizard).

Historical biography

Heinrich Schörbeck was born in Dortmund, Germany. He arrived at the Cape Colony (South Africa) around 1811 as a sailor and deserted. The Dutch, Flemish, Frisian, French and Norwegian settlers called him Hendrik Spoorbek. He became so tolerant of the local pronunciation of his name that he signed his will as Hendrik Spoorbek. On April 14, 1815, the farm “Spoorbek se Erf” (Spoorbek's Lot) was surveyed and registered in his name in the Humansdorp district along the Krom River (15 km from Kareedouw). The size of the farm was 58 morgen and Spoorbek agreed to pay 5 rixdollars a year in quit-rent. Spoorbek lived in a small thatched cottage with only two rooms. He built a watermill along the Krom River and ground wheat for the whole neighborhood. According to his death register entry he was a stonecutter of occupation, was unmarried and had no children. In 1901, Mr. J. R. van der Merwe, a school teacher who moved to Humansdorp, recorded tales of Spoorbek from elderly people who still had personal memories of the wizard who died 56 years earlier in 1845. Also, in 1917 Mrs. L. Rompel-Koopman interviewed the 86-year-old Mrs. Fick-Landman near Alexandria (born 1831) who told her about Spoorbek's life and referred to him as the “Witte Krag” (White Might). Mrs. Fick-Landman recalled: "Al was ik maar klein gewees toe hij leefde, ik het tog goed vir hom geken. Ons kinders was almal `n beetje bang vir hom" (Although I was small when he lived, I knew him very well. We children were all a little afraid of him). All the houses in town were destroyed and the settlers made their last stand in the schoolhouse. When the Xhosa horde surrounded the schoolhouse and tried to burn it down, Spoorbek assured the townsfolk: "Wees gerus, die skoolhuis sal nie brand" (Be calm, the schoolhouse will not burn).

Spoorbek was not afraid of snakes and he would not allow anyone to kill a snake in his presence. He claimed to have the power to call a gathering of all the snakes between two rivers. Another woman who was rude to Spoorbek lost the power of speech. She was only able to speak again after Spoorbek was called back to the farm and lifted the curse. During another incident, a young couple passed Spoorbek in the street, the woman remarked: "Jinne, hier kom die ou towenaar" (“Oh my, here comes the old magician”), and they laughed at him openly. Spoorbek looked at them and said: "Jul tweejes dink jul gaan eendag trouw, maar onthou dit - jul sal nooit trouw!" (“You two think you are going to be married, but remember this – you will never be married!”). On the day of their planned wedding, just as the minister started with the service, the bride left the church by the one door and the bridegroom by another. They were never married. According to his death record he was in his late 80s. He was buried near the track leading to his farm. Spoorbek asked that certain books should be buried with him in his coffin, and his wish was carried out. It was reported that a mysterious star was seen in the sky the night Spoorbek died. A girl age 14 (later Mrs. Strydom) allegedly saw Spoorbek's spirit dressed in white going up into the sky during a great thunderstorm. Though the farm “Spoorbek se Erf” was flooded after the construction of the dam, his grave remained above water level. His signed will may be seen at the Master's Office in Cape Town. Mr. Petrus Hendrik du Preé was his heir. He left him a collection of pots, hammers, chisels and augers, a saddle, a table, five shirts and two trousers. At the time of his death, Spoorbek's movable and immovable assets were valued at £52-10. A farmer named Mr. I.J. du Plessis of Misgund tried to claim £80 he loaned to Spoorbek a few years earlier. Shortly before his death, Spoorbek claimed to have hidden a “great treasure”.

Contemporary interest

Many people visit Humansdorp and Kareedouw each year in an attempt to trace Spoorbek's legendary history. The location of his grave is only known to a handful of local people. The mountain pass in the Kareedouw Mountain is called Spoorbek se Nek (34° 04' S 24° 27' E).