Katwijk (

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 ...

: ''Juliansi'') is

coffee plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

and village in the

Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...

resort of the

Commewijne District 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. The district has a population of 31,4 ...

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 the only coffee plantation in Suriname which is still in operation. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Katwijk was an internment camp for prostitutes.

History

In 1746, the land was sold to the 13-year old Alida Maria Wossink. Wossink married three times, and transformed the land into a successful coffee plantation. According to

John Gabriel Stedman John Gabriel Stedman (1744 – 7 March 1797) was a Dutch-born Scottish soldier who wrote ''The Narrative of a Five Years Expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam'' (1796). This narrative covers his years in Suriname as a soldier in the ...

, she was one of the worst slave holders. In the middle of the 19th century, the plantation temporarily switched to growing bananas. In the early 20th century, 196 contract workers from

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

were hired to work on the plantation. During

, American soldiers were stationed in Suriname. There were concerns about

sexually transmitted diseases Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral sex ...

. In 1942, in anticipation of the visit of Princess

Juliana of the Netherlands Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Sh ...

, all

prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

were

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

at Katwijk. Maxi Linder, the well-known Surinamese prostitute, was among those arrested. They were released in 1944 when the American soldiers were replaced by soldiers from

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. In 1974, Hendrik Gonggrijp sold the plantation to Nagib Nouh-Chaia who turned the plantation into a successful plantation. In 1979, a coffee-roasting factory was built on the plantation. The coffee is mainly sold within Suriname. The houses for the workers are still inhabited.

References

{{Surinamese District Commewijne Coffee brands Populated places in Commewijne District