Berlijn (

Sranan Tongo Sranan Tongo (also Sranantongo "Surinamese tongue," Sranan, Surinaams, Surinamese, Surinamese Creole) is an English-based creole language that is spoken as a ''lingua franca'' by approximately 550,000 people in Suriname. Developed originally amo ...

: Balen) is a village and former wood plantation in the

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...

of Zuid in the

Para District Para is a district of northern Suriname. Para's capital city is Onverwacht, with other towns including Paranam, and Zanderij. Para has a population of 24,700 and an area of 5,393 km2. The district is the mining and forestry centre of Surin ...

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

. It is located on the

Para Creek Para Creek ('' nl, Parakreek'' also Para River) is a blackwater creek in the Wanica & Para District of Suriname. It is a tributary of the Suriname River, and was home to many plantations. The area around the creek has been cultivated since the E ...

, and about from the

Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport , also known as Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, and locally referred to simply as JAP, is an airport located in the town of Zanderij and hub for airline carrier Surinam Airways, south of Param ...

Overview

On 25 February 1763, Johan Godlieb van Borrius bought 1,000 Surinamese acres (about 430 hectares) of land, and founded the wood plantation Berlijn. The plantation was located near

maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...

territory, therefore, a military outpost was established in Berlijn. In the late 18th century, Berlijn became the largest supplier of wood in Suriname. In 1821, the plantation was bought by James Balfour who wanted to transport the slaves to his sugar plantation Waterloo. In

Paramaribo Paramaribo (; ; nicknamed Par'bo) 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 (2012 census), almost half of Suriname's ...

, the slaves discovered their final destination, revolted, and escaped back to Berlijn. The government ruled that they could remain in Berlijn. In 1863, the slaves were emancipated, and the plantation closed. Many of the freed slaves, remained on the land. In 1912, the

Lawa Railway The Lawa Railway (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Lawaspoorweg'' or later ''Landsspoorweg'') was a single-track metre gauge railway in Suriname. It was built during the gold rush in the early 20th century, from the harbour town Paramaribo to Dam at the ...

opened with a station in Berlijn. The railway operated until 1996. In 1937, Berlijn was officially founded as a village. In 1957, a road was built from Berlijn to

Zanderij Zanderij is a village located in the northern part of Suriname, situated 50 kilometres south of the capital Paramaribo on the Southern East-West Link. The Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport is located near the village. On 7 June 1989, Sur ...

near the

. The economy is mainly based on

subsistence farming Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no su ...

, and people who work at the airport and Cola Creek, a nearby tourist resort.

Notable people

Fred Derby Frederik Marinus Emanuel Derby (March 31, 1940 – May 19, 2001) was a Surinamese politician and trade unionist. He was the only survivor of the December murders. In the years before his death he fought for an investigation into these events, an ...

(1940–2001), trade unionist, politician, and only survivor of the

December murders The December murders (Dutch: ''Decembermoorden'') were the murders on 7, 8, and 9 December 1982, of fifteen prominent young Surinamese men who had criticized the military dictatorship then ruling Suriname. Thirteen of these men were arrested on De ...

References

Bibliography

* {{Surinamese District Para Populated places in Para District 1763 establishments in South America