JRR Tolkien is South African!

[Zerg]

I just wanted to share my surprise in learning this fact: Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein.

I am proudly South African, though I despise the shortcomings of the country portrayed in the media, especially violence against women and children.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I was well aware of this fact. I haven’t been to South Africa, so I don’t really have an opinion of it, negative or positive. I’ve seen some movies that take place there or were made there, and they were pretty good movies, so I can say they make good movies.

 

[TheHolyTrinity]

He only stayed in South Africa for just over 2 years. He returned back to the UK along with his mother and brother. He has distant German ancestry, his family has been residing in the UK for a good 200 years and both of his parents were born in the UK. His father stayed on as a bank manager in South Africa and soon later sadly died from Rheumatic Fever.

I think he would have had Commonwealth Citizenship/ Dominion not a South African citizenship. This is common amongst British subjects living abroad.