Hermanus History - Hermanus Pieters and Michael Henn Cape Town - South Africa history   In 1828 the teacher and shepherd Hermanus Pieters sailed from Holland to South Africa.   On his way to Hermanus with his sheep he visited a few farms and passed on his knowledge to the inhabitants, for which they were very grateful.   In the region of Caledon he found the valley Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) where a colony was established. From there, he was able to view the coastal region of what today is known as Hermanus.   The inhabitants informed him of how to reach the coastal region.  In this region he spent the summers with his sheep, and later he named the region to "Hermanus Pietersfontein".   The name "Hermanus Pietersfontein" was renamed to Hermanus in 1902, because the postal service found the name to be too long.   The German Immigrant Michael Henn followed the tracks of Hermanus Pieters and settled in Hermanus with his wife and 5 daughters, where they took up fishing in the bay of Hermanus.  Once his daughters married, they contributed to the growth of Hermanus.   Today, Hermanus is a tourist town, and during the Whale season, thousands of tourists flock to Hermanus for it.  The area surrounding Hermanus is beautiful and is a paradise for flower and bird lovers.