Union Buildings

#Union Buildings The Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, is home to the offices of the State President and the Department of Foreign Affairs. These imposing buildings were originally designed by Sir Herbert Baker for the recently founded (1910) Union of South Africa.

From 1899 to 1903 the two foundling boer republics, the Orange Free State and the "Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek", were at war with the mighty British Empire. At that stage it was the most expensive war Britain had ever fought. Ultimately the two small boer republics had to succumb to the overpowering might of the empire. As a result the two British Colonies, the Cape Colony and Natal were united with the two Boer Republics to form the Union of South Africa. The big debate was where the capital for the new state should be. As a compromise it was decided that Cape Town would be the legislative capital, Bloemfontein the judicial capital and Pretoria the administrative capital. The Union Buildings were then built as the administrative seat and symbol of the new Union of South Africa. Today, Pretoria is still the administrative capital with the Union Buildings as the home of the office and department of the presidency.