The Bantu and Khoisan peoples as a Subject of Antoni Rehman’s Ethnographic Interest

Antoni Rehman (1840–1917) – a scholar affiliated with universities in Krakow and Lviv – is primarily known as a botanist, although the majority of his professional life was dedicated to the field of geography. As an experienced traveller, he stayed in South Africa conducting geobotanical and geographical research in the second half of the 1870s. Three years spent in a region witnessing active colonial expansion also provided him with an opportunity to become acquainted with the local indigenous populations of the Khoisan and Bantu groups in that area. This article is devoted to the history of Rehman’s ethnographic research among the indigenous peoples of Basutoland, Colony of Natal, Cape Colony, South Africa Republic, and the Orange Free State. Rehman exposed and dispelled numerous stereotypes regarding the local tribes. He polemicized with commonly held opinions about them. He openly opposed their dehumanization and xenophobia, contributing to the popularisation of knowledge about the cultures of African indigenous populations.