Radboud University's HDSC project is carried out by Jan Kok, Coen van Galen, Thunnis van Oort, Björn Quanjer and Matthias Rosenbaum-Feldbrügge of Radboud University. The project is also a collaboration between the National Archives of Suriname, Curaçao and the Netherlands, the Anton de Kom University of Suriname and the University of Curacao.
Deeper understanding
The HDSC project aims to bring together information on all inhabitants of Suriname and the former Netherlands Antilles from about 1830 to 1950 into one comprehensive database. These databases link persons appearing in various archival sources, such as slave registers, emancipation registers, civil status records and censuses. This makes it possible for people to trace ancestors and provides new opportunities for scholarly research into the lives of people in a tropical colonial society. The researchers hope that these insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the country's historical involvement in slavery and the historical and cultural context of the region.
Special
UNESCO World Heritage status has been bestowed on a collection of archives in the Netherlands, Suriname, Curaçao and Sint Maarten that together comprise the history of slavery in the Dutch Caribbean colonies in the 19th century. Remarkably, the databases of the slave registers of Suriname and Curaçao are currently the only online databases to have been declared UNESCO World Heritage.
The online availability of the slave registers is the result of the work of many volunteers and sponsors. Since 1 July 2018, the Suriname slave registers have been available online, and since 17 August 2020, the Curaçao slave registers can also be consulted via the website of the National Archives. The databases are an invaluable source of information on enslaved people and their descendants, according to UNESCO.
Commemorative year
The inclusion of these valuable databases in the MoW register comes at a special time, as the Netherlands' history of slavery is under renewed focus. In december 2022, Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologised for the role the Dutch state played in slavery and the slave trade, which brought renewed awareness to it. During the Slavery Memorial Year (July 2023 - July 2024), the various aspects of this history and its repercussions in the present will be highlighted throughout the Kingdom. A multi-year study of the history of slavery has been announced by the Cabinet. Databases will also play an important role in this research.
Image: Burial at plantation slaves. Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
