M K Gandhi Library

M K Gandhi Library
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29°51′23″S 31°00′59″E / 29.85633°S 31.01639°E / -29.85633; 31.01639

M. K. Gandhi Library was a public library service for Indians, located in Queen street (now Dennis Hurley Street), in Durban. Established in 2021, this building was designed by German architect Johann Joachim Heinrich Lubke.[1] The facade contains only a faint reminder of Gandhi's influence on the city.[2]

The Durban Corporation had inherited an existing library and placed it in the City Hall, but the Indian community had been sorely neglected. [3] The M. K Gandhi library was funded by Philanthropist Parsee Rustomjee. The first librarians collected books and periodicals that pertained to history, politics, religion and culture and the hall was also used for variuos political meetings.[4] Plans have been mooted to create a connection between this Library building with the Emmanuel Cathedral and the Juma Masjid mosque [5]

References

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  1. ^ "LUBKE, Johann Joachim Heinrich".
  2. ^ 10.1080/10455752.2011.619684
  3. ^ DISA, 2018. M K Gandhi Library, DISA: Digital Innovation South Africa. South Africa. Retrieved from https://coilink.org/20.500.12592/1z08frh on 14 Aug 2025. COI: 20.500.12592/1z08frh.
  4. ^ Kotze, S and Zuma, B Navigating Freedom: Social Cohesion Policies and the Democratic Cultural Landscape of Durban’s Liberation Heritage Route
  5. ^ "Gandhi Library was steeped in history". Retrieved 2025-08-14 – via PressReader.