The sad story of a 128-year-old South African landmark

For over a century, the corner of Market and Commissioner Streets was marked by Die Herberg Hotel, a building whose walls traced the rise, transformation, and trials of Krugersdorp itself. 

From its origins as a Victorian showpiece to its Art Deco reinvention, the hotel was more than brick and mortar, it was a witness to the town’s history.

The story began in 1897, when Polish chemist Waclaw Thomas von Klonovski commissioned a grand three-story building that would bear his name. 

Klonovski, who had arrived in the Transvaal Republic in the 1880s and opened Krugersdorp’s first pharmacy on Ockerse Street, spared no expense. 

Renowned contractors Robson & Holton, later responsible for the Krugersdorp Town Hall, crafted a Victorian masterpiece complete with an ornate corner tower, intricate balconies, and expansive “olde worlde” rooms. 

Its roof offered photographers a vantage point for some of the earliest panoramic images of the town during the Second Anglo-Boer War.

Klonovski’s tenure in Krugersdorp was cut short by politics: he refused to swear allegiance to the British administration after the war and emigrated to the United States, leaving his architectural legacy behind.

Transformation to a community hub

In the 1930s, the building began its transition into a hotel. A 1939 renovation introduced an Art Deco wing, blending modernity with the original Victorian charm. 

Later, under Dr. Pretorius, the hotel was officially renamed Die Herberg and became a cherished local institution. 

The inn’s Oregon wood floors, soaring ceilings, and the celebrated Riempies Restaurant, known for its snails and oxtail, made it both a “home away from home” for travellers and a gathering spot for the town’s residents.

Decline, fire, closure and an uncertain future

But the glory of Die Herberg waned as Krugersdorp’s CBD faced rising crime, neglect, and decay. 

On October 13, 2025, a catastrophic fire gutted the upper floors and roof. Firefighters contained the blaze, but the century-old interiors were largely destroyed. 

Heritage groups and local politicians condemned the fire as emblematic of the broader decline of the town centre.

The aftermath sparked a tense standoff between the hotel’s owners and the Mogale City Local Municipality. 

By December 5, 2025, under the enforcement of Mayor Lucky Sele, the hotel was officially shut down. 

Authorities cited structural risks and the impossibility of safely reopening parts of the interconnected building.

After 128 years, Die Herberg—once a jewel of Krugersdorp—remains silent. 

Its future now hinges on a restoration process that is both costly and complex, leaving residents to wonder whether the inn will ever welcome guests again.

Images of Die Herberg Hotel in 2026