Brokopondo · sugar, cacao, timber
Berg en Dal: military post, sugar, timber, and 315 people
Berg en Dal, on the left bank of the Suriname River in Brokopondo, began in 1713 as a military post against Maroon attacks, became a sugar plantation in 1722 and later a timber estate, and held 315 enslaved people at the emancipation of 1863.
Check this This page is compiled from published sources and has not yet been verified on the ground. If you know a name, a date or an ownership detail better than we do, tell us and we will correct it with the source named.
The European history of this place starts in 1713 with a military post on the Blauwe Berg, built to protect the plantations downstream against Maroon attacks. From 1717 to about 1722 gold was dug here under the mine director Salomon Herman Sanders, to no profit. In 1722, under governor Hendrik Temming, a sugar plantation of 5,000 akkers was established, worked by 80 enslaved people.
Under governor Joan Raye the estate was converted to a timber plantation in the 1730s; cacao is recorded in 1737 and timber in 1793. It grew to 9,750 akkers by 1826. After the peace treaty with the Saamaka in 1762 the military post was disbanded.
At the emancipation of 1 July 1863, 315 people were held enslaved here. The owners, among them Rothuys, the heirs of baron De Lindau, Muller, Sanches and De Meij, were paid 300 guilders per person for them, 94,500 guilders in all. The people freed received nothing. The emancipation list for Berg en Dal runs to roughly 145 family names, which makes it one of the best chances of finding a name anywhere in the interior.
The estate emptied out after 1863 and was bought at public auction in 1870 by the Moravian Church. The first missionary couple settled the same year. Berg en Dal became the main mission station for the forest region until it was closed because of tropical disease; sources give either 1914 or 1917. The composer Johannes Helstone, born in 1853, came from here.
Since 20 December 2008 the site has held the Berg en Dal Eco and Cultural River Resort, a joint venture between the Moravian Church and Hotel Krasnapolsky, with a cultural history museum and information centre. The village was nearly emptied during the Interior War of 1986 to 1992; a reconstruction foundation was set up in 1999. Road access has existed since the Avobaka road was built in 1968.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were enslaved at Berg en Dal in 1863?
Three hundred and fifteen. The owners were paid 300 guilders per person for them, 94,500 guilders in all; the people freed received nothing. The emancipation list for Berg en Dal runs to roughly 145 family names.
Why did Berg en Dal begin as a military post?
To protect the plantations downstream on the Suriname River against Maroon attacks. The post was built on the Blauwe Berg in 1713 and was only disbanded after the peace treaty with the Saamaka in 1762.
Can you visit Berg en Dal?
Yes. Since 20 December 2008 the Berg en Dal Eco and Cultural River Resort has stood here, with a cultural history museum and information centre. It lies about 85 to 100 km south of Paramaribo and has been reachable by road since the Avobaka road was built in 1968.