Frederiksdorp is a former 18th century coffee and cocoa plantation. The plantation was founded by Johan Friedrich Knöffel, a German to whom the plantation still owes its name. The history of Frederiksdorp follows many events such as the colonisation of ‘The Wild Coast’, the establishment of the plantations, the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the Marroon tribes, the introduction of indentured labor as an alternative for slavery and the indentured laborers that were brought to Suriname from different countries – of whom many descendants still live in the region. Today the area is characterized by its “free enterprise”, agriculture and fishing villages.
Time line
From the start (seventeenth century), the plantations in Suriname were worked by forced labor: hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans were brought to Suriname as part of the transatlantic slave trade
Suriname became a Dutch colony on 26 February 1667, and was often referred to as Dutch Guiana.
Frederiksdorp was founded in 1747 as a coffee plantation by Johan Friederich Knöffel, a German from Pruisen. After him, the plantation was colloquially called Knofroe.
In 1775, there were almost 200 enslaved people working on the plantation. Many slaves escaped with the help of the tribes living deep in the country’s interior. They established their own communities and became known as the Maroons
In anticipation of the abolition of slavery in 1863, and with support of the Dutch colonial rule, the first group of indentured laborers was brought to Suriname to take over the work of the enslaved people. The group consisted of immigrants from China, Portugal and Madeira. However, these workers turned out to be physically unable to cope with the tropical climate and the hard labor that was required of them.
After the abolition of slavery in 1863, there was an urgent need in the colony for laborers who could continue the heavy work on the plantations. Suriname, as a colony of the Netherlands, went all over the world in search of new -and especially cheap- labor to keep the plantations running.
Following the abolition of slavery, the Dutch required “freed” slaves to keep working on the plantation as paid laborers for another decade. This period is known as staatstoezicht – the state surveillance period. In doing so, the large production could be kept going whilst the plantation owners looked for alternative forms of labor that could replace slavery.
On February 10, 1872, a treaty was signed between Great Britain and the Netherlands, dealing with colonial disputes and other colonial affairs between the two countries. As a result of the Sumatra treaty, the Netherlands was given a free hand in recruiting laborers from British India for contract labor in Suriname. This led to the arrival of many indentured laborers from Hindustani descent.
After the first group of migrant workers, a much larger stream of indentured laborers flowed from British India to Suriname.
Due to international coffee prices falling sharply at the end of the nineteenth century, the then owner of the plantation switched to cocoa.
Since the 1890s, British India was replaced by the Dutch East Indies (current Indonesia) as the main recruiting area for indentured workers. They were called Javanese, even though not all of them came from the island of Java.
The cocoa production was very successful for a number of years, with production in Suriname increasing to over a hundred tons per year during the transition of the nineteenth and twentieth century. However, this succes abruptly came to an end due to the infamous witches’ broom disease in 1905. As a result, Frederiksdorp suffered big losses and the plantation was put up for sale.
In 1916, British Indian nationalists put an end to the Indian immigration to Suriname, despite the fact that many Hindustani people in Suriname had a better life than in their home country. In their view, indentured labor was a form of humiliating servitude to colonial rulers.
The indenture period was considerably heavier for the Javanese than for the Hindustani. This had to do with the fact that the British imposed requirements on the Indian immigration, which were not applicable to the Javanese. The second world war put a definitive end to the Javanese emigration to Suriname.
Plantation Frederiksdorp is put up for sale and the following owners switch back to coffee. However, due to the crisis in the interwar period, this venture was unsuccessful and in 1943 the plantation was sold once again. The new owners also do little against the neglect of the plantation and the plantation starts to decay.
In 1976, there is a turning point. The Dutch Ton Hagemeijer and his Surinamese wife Marjan become the new owners of the plantation. Around the turn of the century, the couple decides to head in a new direction and to focus on tourism in addition to agriculture and livestock. With financial support from the Netherlands, they restore the former police post, jail cells and transform the former police houses in a comfortable lodging.
Frederiksdorp is declared the first monument and heritage site outside of the capital, Paramaribo.
In 2016, Tourist entrepreneur Sirano Zalman takes over the large estate from the Hagemeijer family. The historical buildings are renovated and modern cabins are built from sustainable hardwood. A swimming pool, pool deck, cocktail bar and river deck are added to cater to the needs of the “modern-day-tourist.”
In 2017, Frederiksdorp bundles all villages of the right bank of the Commewijne River in the North Commewijne Tourism Cluster to work on tourism development in the destination and destination marketing.
The website Het Geheugen van Noord-Commewijne – The Memory of North Commewijne is launched featuring stories from residence of the region.
Frederiksdorp donates its 18th-century director’s house to the project “The Memory of North Commewijne” as building for the Story Museum. In the story museum, personal stories are featured that are told by residents of North Commewijne. The stories are presented in a colorful, unique and interactive way.
Frederiksdorp launches the Boni Trail, an educative and interactive slavery trail that follows the life of the 18th-century freedom fighter Boni along a specially cut walkway in the plantation forest.
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Time line
Suriname was founded as a plantation colony by British settlers
From the start (seventeenth century), the plantations in Suriname were worked by forced labor: hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans were brought to Suriname as part of the transatlantic slave trade
Suriname was taken over by the Dutch
Suriname became a Dutch colony on 26 February 1667, and was often referred to as Dutch Guiana.
Plantation Frederiksdorp was founded
Frederiksdorp was founded in 1747 as a coffee plantation by Johan Friederich Knöffel, a German from Pruisen. After him, the plantation was colloquially called Knofroe.
Slavery and the Maroons
In 1775, there were almost 200 enslaved people working on the plantation. Many slaves escaped with the help of the tribes living deep in the country’s interior. They established their own communities and became known as the Maroons
The abolition of the slave trade
Arrival of the first group of indentured laborers
In anticipation of the abolition of slavery in 1863, and with support of the Dutch colonial rule, the first group of indentured laborers was brought to Suriname to take over the work of the enslaved people. The group consisted of immigrants from China, Portugal and Madeira. However, these workers turned out to be physically unable to cope with the tropical climate and the hard labor that was required of them.
Abolition of slavery
After the abolition of slavery in 1863, there was an urgent need in the colony for laborers who could continue the heavy work on the plantations. Suriname, as a colony of the Netherlands, went all over the world in search of new -and especially cheap- labor to keep the plantations running.
Staatstoezicht (the transition period)
Following the abolition of slavery, the Dutch required “freed” slaves to keep working on the plantation as paid laborers for another decade. This period is known as staatstoezicht – the state surveillance period. In doing so, the large production could be kept going whilst the plantation owners looked for alternative forms of labor that could replace slavery.
The Sumatra Treaty
On February 10, 1872, a treaty was signed between Great Britain and the Netherlands, dealing with colonial disputes and other colonial affairs between the two countries. As a result of the Sumatra treaty, the Netherlands was given a free hand in recruiting laborers from British India for contract labor in Suriname. This led to the arrival of many indentured laborers from Hindustani descent.
Arrival of the Hindustani people
After the first group of migrant workers, a much larger stream of indentured laborers flowed from British India to Suriname.
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From coffee to cacao
Due to international coffee prices falling sharply at the end of the nineteenth century, the then owner of the plantation switched to cocoa.
Arrival of the Javanese
Since the 1890s, British India was replaced by the Dutch East Indies (current Indonesia) as the main recruiting area for indentured workers. They were called Javanese, even though not all of them came from the island of Java.
Krulloten - The Cacao Disease
The cocoa production was very successful for a number of years, with production in Suriname increasing to over a hundred tons per year during the transition of the nineteenth and twentieth century. However, this succes abruptly came to an end due to the infamous witches’ broom disease in 1905. As a result, Frederiksdorp suffered big losses and the plantation was put up for sale.
End of the Indian immigration
In 1916, British Indian nationalists put an end to the Indian immigration to Suriname, despite the fact that many Hindustani people in Suriname had a better life than in their home country. In their view, indentured labor was a form of humiliating servitude to colonial rulers.
End of the Javanese immigration
The indenture period was considerably heavier for the Javanese than for the Hindustani. This had to do with the fact that the British imposed requirements on the Indian immigration, which were not applicable to the Javanese. The second world war put a definitive end to the Javanese emigration to Suriname.
New owners & decay
Plantation Frederiksdorp is put up for sale and the following owners switch back to coffee. However, due to the crisis in the interwar period, this venture was unsuccessful and in 1943 the plantation was sold once again. The new owners also do little against the neglect of the plantation and the plantation starts to decay.
New owners & Tourism
In 1976, there is a turning point. The Dutch Ton Hagemeijer and his Surinamese wife Marjan become the new owners of the plantation. Around the turn of the century, the couple decides to head in a new direction and to focus on tourism in addition to agriculture and livestock. With financial support from the Netherlands, they restore the former police post, jail cells and transform the former police houses in a comfortable lodging.
National Heritage Site
Frederiksdorp is declared the first monument and heritage site outside of the capital, Paramaribo.
Taking Frederiksdorp to the next level
In 2016, Tourist entrepreneur Sirano Zalman takes over the large estate from the Hagemeijer family. The historical buildings are renovated and modern cabins are built from sustainable hardwood. A swimming pool, pool deck, cocktail bar and river deck are added to cater to the needs of the “modern-day-tourist.”
North Commewijne Tourism Cluster
In 2017, Frederiksdorp bundles all villages of the right bank of the Commewijne River in the North Commewijne Tourism Cluster to work on tourism development in the destination and destination marketing.
The Memory of North Commewijne
The website Het Geheugen van Noord-Commewijne – The Memory of North Commewijne is launched featuring stories from residence of the region.
Story Museum
Frederiksdorp donates its 18th-century director’s house to the project “The Memory of North Commewijne” as building for the Story Museum. In the story museum, personal stories are featured that are told by residents of North Commewijne. The stories are presented in a colorful, unique and interactive way.
Boni Trail
Frederiksdorp launches the Boni Trail, an educative and interactive slavery trail that follows the life of the 18th-century freedom fighter Boni along a specially cut walkway in the plantation forest.