Item mensches_in_the_trenches_009 - Mensches in the Trenches, "Ivan Schlapobersky Interview"

Interview by Jonathan Ancer with Ivan Schlapobersky. Ivan Schlapobersky is an architect. He grew up in Yeoville in Johannesburg, South Africa. While at school and university he became a champion South African swimmer. Because of this he failed several of his subjects. His swimming was about to take him far, but his father made him give it up to focus on his studies. After this he did very well, completing architecture at the top of his class. He was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study at the University of Pennsylvania. Schlapobersky also spent several years in Israel and Canada. 1985 was the year he came back to South Africa. He could see the tide was turning and started getting involved in politics. For Schlapobersky, the Holocaust was the main motivation in getting involved in South African politics. It was not acceptable. The Jewish community was very quiet and this upset him. He and a group of architects got together, forming Architects Against Apartheid (AAP), and decided to challenge apartheid. If architects designed buildings designated for a particular group, or made buildings with separate entrances, or made buildings in which people were tortured, imprisoned or brutally punished, the group would boycott those architects. Unfortunately, in 1986/7 at a meeting of architects, when the moved to vote against the atrocities of the apartheid architecture industry, they lost the vote. Afterwards, people went home, defeated. Schlapobersky's career did not suffer though. He helped to start the Alexandra Art Centre in Alexandra township, where art, music and other creative arts took place, and where he was the chairman. Schlapobersky also sheltered an activist who was on the run, who turned out to be Frank Chikane. Chikane lived with Schlapobersky for six months. Schlapobersky was a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and allowed United Democratic Front (UDF) meetings to be held at his house.