In 1901 his father Carl Fehr, who was a successful businessman in the town, moved his family back to his hometown of Wiesbaden in Germany as a result of his poor health and the looming threat of the Anglo-Boer War.
[3] Due to World War I, Carl decided to leave Europe and relocate his family back to the Cape Colony, with William following shortly thereafter.
In 1952 he lent his personal collection for public exhibition to the Van Riebeeck Tercentenary Festival which was housed at the Castle of Good Hope.
[4] In 1965 he donated more of his personal artefacts to the South African government, works which were housed at Rust en Vreugd in the Cape Town City Centre.
[5] Today local and international researchers and artists continue to show interest in studying The William Fehr Collection as a way on interrogating a part of Africa's cultural and colonial heritage.