X-Nico

8 unusual facts about Fort Zeelandia


1980 Surinamese coup d'état

On 8 December 1982, a group of fifteen academics, journalists, lawyers, union leaders, and military officials, who opposed the military rule in Suriname were snatched from their beds and brought to Fort Zeelandia in Paramaribo where they were tortured and executed by Bouterse's soldiers.

December murders

After their abduction, the fifteen victims were transported to Fort Zeelandia, the then headquarters of Bouterse and his soldiers in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname.

Soldiers of Dési Bouterse, the then dictator of Suriname, took them to Fort Zeelandia (the then headquarters of Bouterse), where they were heard as 'suspects in a trial' by Bouterse and other sergeants in a self-appointed court.

Dutch Slave Coast

Political unrest caused the Dutch to abandon their trading post at Ouidah in 1725, now moving to Jaquim, at which place they built Fort Zeelandia.

In 1733, Hertog returned to Jaquim, this time extending the trading post into Fort Zeelandia.

Jimmy Leonard Stolk

Stolk transported one of the victims of the December Murders, the military Jiwansingh Sheombar, from the Memre Boekoe barracks to Fort Zeelandia in his own car; according to Stolk by command of his superiors, and for interrogation.

Johan van der Burg

Johan died in office on 11 March 1640 and was buried at Fort Zeelandia.

Moiwana

Reportedly he was forced out of his car near Fort Zeelandia and shot in the head, with his body left outside the office of Desi Bouterse.


Dutch Formosa

The original intention of setting up Fort Zeelandia at Tayowan (Anping) in southern Formosa was to provide a base for trading with China and Japan, as well as interfering with Portuguese and Spanish trade in the region.


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