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What Happened in Pietermaritzburg After the Lusitania Sinking?

Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaSunday, December 29, 2024

Imagine this: the year is 1915, and the world is shaken by the news that the British ship Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine. Far away in the city of Pietermaritzburg, which was predominantly British, something unusual started to happen. A new group called the Pietermaritzburg Citizens Vigilance Committee came into existence. Their mission? To keep an eye on people of German descent living in the city, checking if they were loyal to Britain or not.

despite not finding any disloyalty, the committee did uncover something else unsettling – a lot of intimidation from those who called themselves patriots. The committee wasn't shy to speak up against this behavior. While some might see their work as targeting Germans, it also served as a way for the public to channel their outrage over the Lusitania incident.

pietermaritzburg citizens vigilance committee city of pietermaritzburg

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