Modderfontein (East Rand)

Modderfontein
Modderfontein Show map of Gauteng Modderfontein Show map of South Africa Modderfontein Show map of Africa  Modderfontein shown within Gauteng
Location within Greater Johannesburg  Modderfontein
Coordinates: 26°05′04″S 28°10′01″E / 26.0845°S 28.1669°E / -26.0845; 28.1669Coordinates: 26°05′04″S 28°10′01″E / 26.0845°S 28.1669°E / -26.0845; 28.1669
Country	South Africa
Province	Gauteng
Municipality	City of Johannesburg
Area
• Total	27.83 km2 (10.75 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	131
• Density	4.7/km2 (12/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	83.2%
• White	16.8%
Postal code (street)	1609
PO box	1645

Modderfontein is a suburb of the City of Johannesburg on the east of the Witwatersrand conurbation (East Rand) which lies within the province of Gauteng province of South Africa, formerly called the PWV area. It began as a mining town adjacent to the Modder River, hence its name which is Afrikaans for Modder spring or fountain.

The flag of Modderfontein comprised the shield from the municipal arms being placed in the centre of a white field. The shield can be described as a white saltire on a blue background superimposed in the middle of which are crossed hammers in black. Above the crossed hammers is a protea in its natural colours of red and green while below is a schematic representation of water in blue and white.

The protea, the national flower of South Africa, symbolises the commitment of Modderfontein to serving the country for the benefit of all its people. Modderfontein has served South Africa through the manifold skills needed for the various products and services produced in the town and by sharing this with the broader community, making the country a better place in which to live.

The crossed hammers symbolise industry and mining, the trademarks of the first products produced in the town. They also indicate an unbroken tradition of serving the country's industrial and mining sectors.

The water symbolises pure, clean spring water and alludes to the name given to the town.

Carl Friedrich Wolff was born on Christmas Eve 1851 in Kempten, the capital of the Austro-Bavarian district Allgäu in South Germany. After school and an early training in the iron and steel industry, he moved to London and in 1873, embarked on a financial career. In 1875 his company, Adolph Mosenthal & Co. transferred him to South Africa where he took command of the accounting division in the Port Elizabeth branch. In 1880 he was transferred to Bloemfontein where he married Maria Fichardt, granddaughter of Carl Wuras, a noted missionary.

In 1888, Wolff was transferred to Pretoria to establish a branch office. He became a leading figure among the German community and was elected as chairman of the local German Club. From Pretoria he moved to Johannesburg to open another branch office and became a founder member and the first chairman of the German Club in the city.