Half of Nieuwe Oranjetuin damaged by fire

The fire started, according to Fokké, during an attempt to combat nests of Brazilian bees with fire. The flames subsequently spread rapidly across the bone-dry grounds in the direction of Swalmbergstraat.

The Korps Brandweer Suriname (KBS, Suriname Fire Service) was called in to fight the fire. According to Fokké, however, the fire was not fully extinguished and part of it was allowed to burn out. He speaks of serious and partly irreparable damage to the historic heritage.

Grave monuments severely damaged

According to the heritage specialist, the inscriptions on several rare slate gravestones are barely or no longer legible. Marble grave monuments are also said to have cracked or broken off due to the heat. Grave posts made of Bruinhart were charred.

Fokké regrets the damage, because the distinctive grave monuments have important historical value, according to him, and could have made Nieuwe Oranjetuin attractive for heritage tourism.

“The detainees were doing good work. The graves became visible again and during my visits I was once more struck by the beauty, significance and history behind the grave monuments,” he says.

Cleaning by detainees

Since mid-August, detainees had been cleaning the overgrown cemetery. The grounds, bordering Dr. J.F. Nassylaan, Swalmbergstraat and Henck Arronstraat, had largely turned into an inaccessible forested area after years of neglect.

The detainees removed, among other things, weeds, shrubs, waste and tall trees. In some places, trees were growing out of the graves. The work was carried out under the supervision of the directoraat Openbaar Groen (Public Green Directorate) of the ministerie van Openbare Werken en Ruimtelijke Ordening.

According to Fokké, the directoraat Cultuur was not involved in the work. To prevent damage to the grave monuments, he says he gave instructions to penitentiary officers and employees of Openbaar Groen out of personal involvement.

Call for extra caution

The fire did not spread to Theater Thalia or the wooden caretaker’s residence on the grounds. In the eastern part of the cemetery, many graves are still overgrown with grass and shrubs.

Fokké warns that extra caution is needed when cleaning this section. If bee nests need to be tackled again, a fire engine should be on standby to enable a swift response, he says.

It remains unclear what will happen next with Nieuwe Oranjetuin. According to Fokké, no one from the government or the presidential commission visited the site after the fire. The KBS and the government agencies involved have not yet publicly responded to his criticism.