Katwijk, Suriname Explained

Official Name:Katwijk
Other Name:Juliansi
Settlement Type:Coffee plantation and village
Pushpin Map:Suriname
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Mapsize:300
Pushpin Map Caption:Position in Suriname
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Suriname
Subdivision Name1:Commewijne District
Subdivision Type2:Resort
Subdivision Name2:Alkmaar
Area Total Km2:3.64
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:AST
Utc Offset:-3
Coordinates:5.8633°N -54.9961°W

Katwijk (Sranan Tongo: Juliansi[1]) is coffee plantation and village in the Alkmaar resort of the Commewijne District of Suriname. It is the only coffee plantation in Suriname which is still in operation.[2] [3] During World War II, Katwijk was an internment camp for prostitutes.

History

In 1746, the land was sold to the 13-year old Alida Maria Wossink. Wossink married three times, and transformed the land into a successful coffee plantation.[3] According to John Gabriel Stedman, she was one of the worst slave holders.[4] In the middle of the 19th century, the plantation temporarily switched to growing bananas.[3] In the early 20th century, 196 contract workers from Java were hired to work on the plantation.[5]

During World War II, American soldiers were stationed in Suriname. There were concerns about sexually transmitted diseases. In 1942, in anticipation of the visit of Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, all prostitutes were interned at Katwijk.[6] Maxi Linder, the well-known Surinamese prostitute, was among those arrested.[7] They were released in 1944[7] when the American soldiers were replaced by soldiers from Puerto Rico.[4]

In 1974, Hendrik Gonggrijp sold the plantation to Nagib Nouh-Chaia who turned the plantation into a successful plantation.[3] In 1979, a coffee-roasting factory was built on the plantation. The coffee is mainly sold within Suriname. The houses for the workers are still inhabited.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Plantage Katwijk. Suriname Plantages. 1 March 2021. nl.
  2. Web site: PLANTAGE KATWIJK MTB. Suriname Holidays. 1 March 2021. nl.
  3. Web site: Plantage Katwijk. Surgoed. 1 March 2021. nl.
  4. Troost uit Katwijk. Parbode. 1 September 2007. 1 March 2021. nl.
  5. Web site: Te werkstelling Javaanse contractarbeiders aan het begin van de contractarbeid . Suriname.nu. 1 March 2021. nl.
  6. Web site: Suriname in de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Werkgroep Caraibische Letteren. 1 March 2021. nl.
  7. Book: De brug van Paramaribo naar Willemstad. Nederlands-Caribische en Caribisch-Nederlandse literatuur 1945-2005 . Wim Rutgers. 2007. nl. Universiteit van de Nederlandse Antillen.