Braamfontein

Braamfontein (English: blackberry fountain) is a central suburb of Johannesburg, in South Africa. Braamfontein is part of a cultural arc that includes Newtown, the University of the Witwatersrand, Constitution Hill and the Civic Centre. The Nelson Mandela bridge is a landmark that connects Braamfontein to the city center. Jan Smuts Avenue and Empire Road are two major thoroughfares that run through the suburb. The name "Braamfontein" dates from as early as 1853, when a farm with this name to the north-west of Randjeslaagte belonged to Gert Bezuidenhout. In that year he applied to the government to have his farm surveyed. Five years later, in 1858, Gert sold his farm to F.J. Bezuidenhout. Like many farms on the Witwatersrand,...