Meerzorg

Last updated
Meerzorg
Resort
Tropenmuseum Royal Tropical Institute Objectnumber 20006981 De Arya Samaj tempel in Meerzorg.jpg
The Arya Samaj Temple in Meerzorg (1964)
Commewijne Resorts Suriname Neutral.png
Map showing the resorts of Commewijne District.
  Meerzorg
Coordinates: 5°48′26″N55°8′49″W / 5.80722°N 55.14694°W / 5.80722; -55.14694
CountryFlag of Suriname.svg  Suriname
District Commewijne District
Area
 • Total1,081 km2 (417 sq mi)
Elevation
1 m (3 ft)
Population
 (2012) [1]
 • Total12,405
 • Density11/km2 (30/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-3 (AST)

Meerzorg (Sranan Tongo: Ansu [2] ) is a town and resort (municipality) in Suriname, located on the eastern bank of the Suriname River, directly opposite the capital Paramaribo. Its population at the 2012 census was 12,405. [1] Since 2000 it has been connected to Paramaribo by the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge, named after the former President Jules Wijdenbosch. [3]

Contents

History

Meerzorg is named after the sugar plantation Meerzorg. [2] The plantation was founded at the end of the 17th century, and was originally called Plantage Amsinck. [4] On 10 October 1712, Jacques Cassard captured the plantation for France, and threatened Paramaribo across the Suriname river. Negotiations started, and on 27 October Cassard left with ƒ747,350 (€8.1 million in 2018 [5] ) worth of goods and slaves. [6] To protect Paramaribo and Commewijne from future attacks, Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam was constructed, and opened in 1747. [7]

On 15 March 1907, the plantation owners announced a grand plan: a tram line would be laid between Spieringshoek and Meerzorg, the United Fruit Company would start loading bananas at a new wharf, and a steamboat ferry would connect Meerzorg with Paramaribo. [8] On 26 August 1907, the plans were cancelled, and the owner was thinking of selling the plantation. [9] In 1915, the plantation was bought by the government to be repurposed for small scale agriculture, and suburban housing projects. [10] Due to the proximity of Paramaribo, factories were built in Meerzorg. [11] In 1930, the plantation was extended by a polder, and the new land was used to grow rice. [12] Meerzorg started to grow, and by 1948 had a population of 4,000 people. [13] In 1958, the Commewijne District was expanded to include Meerzorg boosting its population. [14]

In 1931, a ferry opened between Meerzorg en Waterkant, Paramaribo, [11] but to improve access to the eastern part of Suriname, the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge was opened on 20 May 2000, replacing the ferry. The bridge is part of the East-West Link. [15] There have been repeated calls to reopen a ferry service for bikes and pedestrians. [16] The ferry wharf has been upgraded to a touristic zone as of 2012. [17]

Meerzorg has been designated as a regional centre, and suburban area for Paramaribo, and there have been many building projects in the early 21st century. In 2006, the plan Richelieu was announced to build 4,000 houses at the location of the former plantation in corporation with the Development Bureau of the Dutch city of Amsterdam. [18]

Meerzorg was also home to the Cinema Ansoe, a unique wooden art-deco cinema, which opened on 28 November 1958. [19] As of 2013, the cinema was in a dilapidated condition with broken windows. [20]

Other settlements

The village of Laarwijk is located on the Meerzorg resort. [21]

The Brooskampers Maroons lived on plantations Rorac and Klaverblad between 1863 and 1917. [22]

Peperpot nature park

Peperpot Plantation house Directeurshuis plantage Peperpot.JPG
Peperpot Plantation house

Peperpot is a former coffee plantation located to the south of the town of Meerzorg. It is one of the oldest plantations. The exact year of founding is not known, but it was soon after 1692. The plantation remained in production until 1998. [23] The plantation has been transformed into a 700 hectares nature park, and is home to many birds and animals. [24] The nature park opened in 2009 and was financed by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Nationale Postcode Loterij. [25]

Sports

The Meerzorg Stadion, a multi-purpose stadium, is located in Meerzorg near the East-West Link. The stadium is home to both SVB Hoofdklasse clubs SV Excelsior and SV Nishan 42. The stadium has a capacity of 1,300 people. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Suriname</span>

The Republic of Suriname has a number of forms of transport. Transportation emissions are an increasing part of Suriname's contributions to climate change, as part of the Nationally Determined Contributions for the Paris Agreement, Suriname has committed to emissions controls for vehicles and increased public transit investment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramaribo</span> Capital city of Suriname

Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on the banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 241,000 people, almost half of Suriname's population. The historic inner city of Paramaribo has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commewijne District</span> District of Suriname

Commewijne is a district of Suriname, located on the right bank of the Suriname River. Commewijne's capital city is Nieuw Amsterdam. Tamanredjo is another major town, while Meerzorg is the most populated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nieuw Amsterdam, Suriname</span> Resort and town in Commewijne District, Suriname

Nieuw Amsterdam is the capital of the Commewijne District in Suriname. It is a small coastal town situated at the confluence of the Suriname River and Commewijne River, just across from Paramaribo, the country's capital. Its population at the 2012 census was 5,650, with around 1,200 people living in the main town, most of whom are of Javanese and East Indian origin. It is the location of the historical Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam, today an open-air museum. The town of Mariënburg with former sugarcane factory is located 3 km from Nieuw Amsterdam and part of the resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suriname River</span> River in Suriname

The Suriname River is 480 km long and flows through the country Suriname. Its sources are located in the Guiana Highlands on the border between the Wilhelmina Mountains and the Eilerts de Haan Mountains. The source of the Upper Suriname River is at the confluence of the Gran Rio and Pikin Rio near the village of Goddo. The river continues shortly after the reservoir along Brokopondo as the Lower Suriname River. Than it flows Berg en Dal, the migrant communities Klaaskreek and Nieuw-Lombé, Jodensavanne, Carolina, Ornamibo and Domburg, before reaching the capital Paramaribo on the left bank and Meerzorg on the right bank. At Nieuw-Amsterdam it is joined by the Commewijne and immediately thereafter at the sandspit Braamspunt it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Laarwijk is a settlement and a former sugar plantation in the Commewijne District in Suriname. Laarwijk is situated along the Suriname River and can only be reached by boat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johan & Margaretha</span> Resort in Commewijne District, Suriname

Johan & Margaretha or sometimes just Margaretha is a resort in Suriname, located in the Commewijne District. Its population at the 2012 census was 756. It is located along a peninsula northeast of Paramaribo. It is named after the coffee plantation Johan & Margaretha which was founded in 1745 by Johan Knöffel. It is safe to assume that his wife was called Margaretha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Nieuwe Grond</span> Resort in Wanica District, Suriname

De Nieuwe Grond is a resort in Suriname, located in the Wanica District. Its population at the 2012 census was 26,161. Its main ethnic groups are East Indian, and Creoles. The resort is named after a sugar plantation in 1770. The plantation was already abandoned in 1863, when slavery was abolished, because that year, it was up for public auction. The area used to consist of small scale agriculture with a focus on vegetables and rice, but due to its proximity to Paramaribo, it has become a suburban area with a young population. In 2019, a new bigger market opened in the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge</span> Bridge in North Suriname

The Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge, also called Suriname bridge and known locally as Bosje Brug, is a bridge over the Suriname River between the capital city Paramaribo and Meerzorg in the Commewijne District. The bridge is part of the East-West Link, and is named after former president Jules Wijdenbosch. Constructed by Dutch constructor Ballast-Nedam, the bridge has two lanes, is 1504 metres long, and was opened on 20 May 2000.

The (northern) East-West Link is a road in Suriname between Albina in the eastern part of the country to Nieuw Nickerie in the western part, via the capital city of Paramaribo. The southern East-West Link connects Paramaribo with Apoera via Bitagron. Construction of the road link started in the 1960s.

The Cassard expedition was a sea voyage by French Navy captain Jacques Cassard in 1712, during the War of the Spanish Succession. Targeting English, Dutch, and Portuguese possessions, he raided and ransomed the colonies of Cape Verde, Sint Eustatius, and Curaçao—factories, depots, and seasoning camps used in the Atlantic slave trade. He also raided and ransomed Montserrat, Antigua, Surinam, Berbice, and Essequibo—wealthy sugar-producing colonies in the Caribbean whose economies were based on the exploitation of slave labor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stolkertsijver</span> Place in Commewijne District, Suriname

Stolkertsijver is a town in the Commewijne District of Suriname. It is situated on the East-West Link. At Stolkertsijver, a bridge spanning the Commewijne River was built in 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berg en Dal, Suriname</span> Village in Brokopondo District, Suriname

Berg en Dal is a village in the resort of Klaaskreek in the Brokopondo District of Suriname. The village is located on the Suriname River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braamspunt</span> Nature reserve and village in Commewijne District, Suriname

Braamspunt is a nature reserve, fishing village, and a former military outpost in the Johan & Margaretha resort of the Commewijne District of Suriname. Braamspunt is the most western point of the Commewijne District at the combined mouth of the Suriname and Commewijne River. The capital Paramaribo is located to the south of Braamspunt. The name is a corruption of Byam's Point which refers William Byam who was a quartermaster of Willoughby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferry terminal Leonsberg</span> Ferry jetty in Suriname

The Ferry terminal Leonsberg is a ferry jetty in the north of Paramaribo, Suriname. From here various private operators offer transport service the other side of the Suriname river and the Commewijne River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uitkijk</span> Village in Saramacca District, Suriname

Uitkijk is a village in the resort of Kampong Baroe in the Saramacca District of Suriname. The village is located on the Saramacca River.

Jacques Adam Drielsma (14 October 1886 – 31 July 1974) was a Surinamese lawyer and notary who served as acting Prime Minister of Suriname in 1951, and Finance minister between 1949 and 1952. In 1957, he was sentenced to two years in prison for embezzlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba–Suriname relations</span> Bilateral relations

Diplomatic relations between Cuba and Suriname were established on 23 March 1979. Suriname has an embassy in Havana since 2003. Cuba has an embassy in Paramaribo since 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Sommelsdijk</span> Fort in Suriname

Fort Sommelsdijk was a fort in Suriname built in 1686 at the confluence of the Commewijne and Cottica rivers. Later it was used as a mission post and hospital. In 1870, it lost its function and was only used a military outpost. In the 21st century, the fort was taken over by nature.

References

  1. 1 2 "Resorts in Suriname Census 2012" (PDF). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Plantage Meerzorg". Suriname Plantage (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge". Emporis . Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Amsinck". Suriname.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "De waarde van de gulden / euro". Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  6. ↑ Jan Jacob Hartsinck, Digital Library for Dutch Literature (1770). "Beschryving van Guiana, of de wilde kust in Zuid-America" (in Dutch).
  7. ↑ "Geschiedenis". Fort Nieuw Amsterdam (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "Bacovecultuur". Suriname: koloniaal nieuws- en advertentieblad via Delpher (in Dutch). 15 March 1907. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Bacovetram". Suriname: koloniaal nieuws- en advertentieblad via Delpher (in Dutch). 26 August 1907. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "Koloniale Staten". Suriname : koloniaal nieuws- en advertentieblad via delpher (in Dutch). 12 February 1915. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  11. 1 2 "DE GESCHIEDENIS VAN MEERZORG, ZOALS BESCHREVEN IN OUDE KRANTENBERICHTEN, DEEL 1 (1915-1940)". Plantage Jaglust (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "Het voorland van Meerzorg". Algemeen Handelsblad via delpher (in Dutch). 20 May 1930. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "Geschiedenis van Meerzorg II". Suriname.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "District Commewijne" (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Infrastructuur". En Toen.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "Veer bij Surinaamse hoofdstad in de pijplijn". Waterkant. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  17. ↑ "Veerplein Meerzorg wordt toeristische attractie". GFC Nieuws via Nieuws Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  18. ↑ "Weinig hoop voor woningzoekenden". Parbode (in Dutch). Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "Cinema Ansoe". Surya Media (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  20. ↑ "Oude bioscopen, nieuwe bestemmingen". Dagblad Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  21. ↑ "Laarwijk Map — Satellite Images of Laarwijk". Map Landia. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  22. ↑ Scholtens, Ben (1994). Bosneger en overheid in Suriname. Radboud University Nijmegen (Thesis) (in Dutch). Paramaribo: Afdeling Cultuurstudies/Minov. p. 34. ISBN   9991410155.
  23. ↑ "Plantage Peperpot". Suriname Plantages (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  24. ↑ "Nature Park at an old plantation". KLM. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  25. ↑ "Wat wordt Peperpot" (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  26. ↑ "Meerzorg Stadion". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
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