Abraham Fischer

Abraham Fischer (9 April 1850 – 16 November 1913)<ref>Rulers and Governments of the World, vol. 3- 1930 to 1975, Charles G. Allen, Bowker, 1977, p. 481</ref> was a South African statesman. He was the sole Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony in South Africa,<ref name="clingman">Template:Cite book</ref> and when that ceased to exist joined the cabinet of the newly formed Union of South Africa.<ref name="DictSAB">Template:Cite book</ref>

Early life

Fischer was born on 9 April 1850 in Green Point, Cape Town<ref>Template:Cite ODNB</ref> in to Johannes Jacobus George Fischer, formerly of the Dutch East India Company, and Catherina Anna Margertha Brink.<ref>The Amazing Mr Fischer, Gerard Ludi and Blaar Grobbelaar, Nasionale Boekhandel, 1966, p. 1</ref><ref>Braam Fischer: The Man with Two Faces, Afrikaanse Pers, Chris Vermaak, 1963</ref>

Biography

He was educated at the South African College, and became a lawyer in Cape Colony, joining the bar in 1875.<ref name="Sta01">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1873 he married Ana Robertson (1851-1927), the daughter of Scottish immigrants to the Free State.<ref name="clingman-8">Template:Cite book</ref> He became interested in the politics of the Orange Free State, and in 1878 became a member of the Orange Free State's Volksraad.<ref name=Sta01/> He became vice-president of the Volksraad in 1893, a member of the executive council in 1896, and took part in many colonial and interstate conferences.<ref name=Sta01/> He headed a joint deputation from Transvaal and Orange Free State to Europe and America during the Boer War<ref name="americana">Template:Cite Americana</ref> to solicit support for the Boers, returning in 1903 to practice law in the newly formed Orange River Colony.<ref name=Sta01/>

Continuing to promote the Boer cause, he helped form the Orangia Unie party in May 1906 and became its chairman; the party won the majority of seats in the colony's first elections that were held in November 1907.<ref name=Sta01/> On 27 November, he was chosen as Prime Minister, and stayed in that position until it ceased to exist with the union of 31 May 1910.<ref name=Sta01/> He then joined the cabinet of the Union of South Africa as Minister of Lands. He was made Privy Councillor in 1911 and became Minister of the Interior and Lands in 1912.<ref name="americana"/><ref name=Sta01/>

He was the father of Percy Fischer, a Judge President of the Orange Free State.<ref name=Sta01/> He was the grandfather of Bram Fischer, a noted anti-apartheid activist.<ref name=Sta01/>