Your guide to Heidelberg Gauteng
#Die Ou Meule
Heritage Blue Plaque #Nr 47
DIE OU MEULE - Cnr of Meyer and Schoeman Streets
What is the story here?
This building, as well as the store diagonally across Schoeman Street and the house at 14 Schoeman Street was built for Mr David Harry Bartkunsky (1907-1974) in the 1930s. He owned and ran the Heidelberg Electric Roller Mills. He milled various types of grain and also stored grain in his large storehouse behind his home.
THE HISTORY OF THE BARTKUNSKY ESTATE AND THE OLD MILL PRECINCT
THE BARTKUNSKY FAMILY REGISTRY AND TRAGIC CONFLICT
The historic residential narrative of 14 Schoeman Street is defined by the life of the Lithuanian immigrant merchant, Mr David Harry Bartkunsky (15 April 1907 - 17 January 1974). Born in Seduva, Lithuania, Bartkunsky journeyed to South Africa in 1925 to establish his livelihood within the expanding highveld economy. On 1 April 1940, he married Anne Antesorsky in Volksrust. Anne was born in Bellville in 1903, and the marriage produced four children: Philip, Gwen, Irwin, and Herbert.
Following over three decades of permanent residency, Bartkunsky officially became a naturalised South African citizen on 19 November 1957, establishing the family estate on Schoeman Street.
The family line came to a sudden and tragic conclusion on 17 January 1974. Anne Bartkunsky passed away in Boksburg following a severe illness. On the exact same day, suffering from an advanced, terminal diagnosis of cancer and facing immense medical distress, David committed suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head while seated inside his motor vehicle parked within the domestic garage behind his Heidelberg home.
Prior to his death, a defiant Bartkunsky was recorded by close associates as stating, "Those sharks will never get my money!"—explicitly referencing his frustration regarding the escalating financial fees demanded by his medical practitioners. The couple were returned to Johannesburg under funeral escort and interred alongside one another within the historic grounds of the Westpark Jewish Cemetery.
COMMERCIAL REPURPOSING AND THE OU MEULE MURAL
The auxiliary commercial buildings anchoring the family estate transformed significantly over the late 20th century, adapting to the town's shifting trading sector. A major section of the primary precinct was transitioned to serve as a prominent local bottle store operating under the traditional name "Die Ou Meule" (The Old Mill), a commercial enterprise that subsequently closed and was briefly converted into a specialized drive-through fast-food restaurant.
The historic facility has since been partitioned to accommodate contemporary service industries: the local security enterprise Emis Security currently operates its central administrative offices from the main structure, while the specialized commercial retailer Adendorff Machinery Mart occupies the extensive floor space previously configured for the bottle store.
Preserved intact inside the main trading hall of the Machinery Mart is a massive, historic wall mural. This expansive artwork features a detailed visual montage capturing the various structural landmarks, architectural gems, and heritage sites of old Heidelberg, which was meticulously painted during the operational era of the "Ou Meule" bottle store to celebrate the town's nostalgia.
THE SCHOEMAN STREET URBAN TRANSFORMATIONS
The parallel flanks of the old mill precinct along Schoeman Street have undergone complete structural and tenant transformations. The large warehouse building positioned diagonally across the street - which historically functioned as an operational wing of the original milling company - was previously requisitioned by Radzo Security Systems before being occupied by a succession of contemporary commercial tenants.
The rear perimeter of this diagonal building has been systematically developed, currently housing a functional locksmith workshop on the ground level, while the upper floor space has been converted into the popular social hub known across the district as QR’s Pub & Grill. The landmark Dagbreek Café, which stood directly next door to the property for decades and anchored the daily foot traffic of the block, has since been completely demolished by developers to clear the street front.
PRESERVATION AND ART NOUVEAU ARCHITECTURE AT NUMBER 14
In stark contrast to the surrounding commercial demolitions, the primary family residence located at 14 Schoeman Street has been meticulously preserved and looked after by its subsequent custodians. The historic interior has survived almost entirely unaltered, retaining its authentic 1930s residential character, with the single structural modification restricted to a modern renovation of the internal kitchen workspace.
The home represents a rare architectural capsule of the pre-war era; the high plaster ceilings remain completely intact, and every room inside the residence still retains its original, uniquely patterned Art Nouveau electrical light fittings, serving as a living reflection of the elegant design trends that defined Heidelberg's mid-20th-century urban expansion.
SOURCES AND CREDITS
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Primary Historiography: Consolidated from the specialized family heritage feature written by journalist Eugene Viljoen, published in the 20 April 2022 edition of the Heidelberg Nigel Heraut.
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Oral History Archives: Supplemented by the personal family tree records, letters, and direct testimony provided by Paul Bartkunsky, the grandson of David Bartkunsky.
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Field Observations: Documented via the contemporary architectural property tracking registers compiled by Tony Burisch for the Heidelberg Heritage Association.
