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Historic Burial Sites in the Districts

The core of the Surinamese economy was formed by the plantations until well into the nineteenth century. The plantation was the production unit, but also the social unit: an autonomous community of between 50 and 500 people. The owner and his family lived there, and then there was the free staff, consisting of director, supervisors and sometimes craftsmen. But the vast majority of the community were enslaved people. All of them were buried on the plantation. The owner and director in a small, distinguished cemetery near the plantation house, the enslaved in a simple cemetery near the edge of the plantation. It is not known where the free personnel were buried.

Historic Burial Sites in the Districts
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Where are the cemeteries of the enslaved?

Until the end of the nineteenth century, Suriname had hardly any infrastructure outside the plantations and Paramaribo. It was only found in that part of the colony that had been cultivated and where the Kordonpad ran. Military posts along this path had to protect the plantations along the Commewijne and Suriname rivers against attacks from the south and east of the Maroons, enslaved refugees. The records show that officers and soldiers who died at the various posts were buried on the spot at the appropriate post. Today the graves of deceased soldiers can be found at some former posts. Where there were no roads, plantations were reached via the creeks and rivers that flow to the coast.

Plantage Leeverpoel (collection Rijksmuseum)
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Timeline cemeteries Paramaribo

The city of Paramaribo has a fascinating funerary history with more than 50 well-known cemeteries. In addition, several yard graves are known and there are also the lost slave cemeteries and various finds of pre-Columbian graves. By describing not only what has been preserved, but also what has disappeared, it is possible to map Paramaribo's funerary history. This gives us more insight into the history of Suriname. The cemeteries and cemeteries are heritage that the Netherlands shares and connects with Suriname, but at the same time it is mainly Surinamese heritage.

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Shared Cemeteries is all about (former Dutch) funerary heritage all over the world and is a non-profit partnership committed to sharing knowledge and information.

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