Fort Sommelsdijk

{{Short description|Fort in Suriname}} {{Infobox military installation | name = Fort Sommelsdijk | native_name = | partof = Suriname | location = | image = File:Tropenmuseum Royal Tropical Institute Objectnumber 60000997 Militairen in Fort Sommelsdijck.jpg | image_size = | caption = Soldiers at Fort Sommelsdijk (1884) | map_type = Suriname | map_size = | map_alt = | map_caption = | type = | coordinates = {{coord|5.8590|-54.8653|type:landmark|display=inline, title}} | code = | built = {{Start date|1686}} | builder = Society of Suriname | materials = | height = | used = | demolished = | condition = | ownership = | open_to_public = | controlledby = | garrison = | current_commander = | commanders = | occupants = | battles = | events = | image2 = | caption2 = }} '''Fort Sommelsdijk''' was a fort in Suriname built in 1686 at the confluence of the Commewijne and Cottica rivers. Later it was used as a mission post and hospital. In 1870, it lost its function and was only used a military outpost. In the 21st century, the fort was taken over by nature.<ref name="arch">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312070403/http://nationaalarchief.sr/geschiedenis/plantages/commewijnerivier/sommelsdijk/index.nl.html |archive-date=12 March 2009|url=http://nationaalarchief.sr/geschiedenis/plantages/commewijnerivier/sommelsdijk/index.nl.html |title=Fort Sommelsdijk op de samenvloeiing van Commewijnerivier / Cotticarivier|website=Surinamese National Archive|access-date=17 January 2022|language=nl}}</ref>

== History == In 1683, Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck became the first Dutch governor of Suriname.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.suriname.nu/701vips/cornelisvansommelsdijck.html |title=Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck |website=Suriname.nu|access-date=17 January 2022|language=nl}}</ref> He built a plantation near the confluence of the Commewijne and Cottica rivers.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://dbnl.org/tekst/herl001besc01_01/herl001besc01_01_0007.php?q=Fort%20Sommelsdijk#hl2 |title=Beschryvinge van de volk-plantinge Zuriname |author=J.D. Herlein|year=1718|page=51|publisher=Meindert Injema|location=Leeuwarden|language=nl}}</ref><ref name="arch"/> On 7 March 1685, the Court of Policy decided to build a fort at the location, and construction started in 1686. The fort was named after van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck.<ref name="arch"/>

On 10 October 1712, Jacques Cassard captured the Meerzorg plantation for France, and threatened Paramaribo across the Suriname River.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/hart038besc01_01/hart038besc01_01_0026.php|title=Beschryving van Guiana, of de wilde kust in Zuid-America|author=Jan Jacob Hartsinck|page=682|date=1770|language=nl|publisher=Gerrit Tielenburg|location=Amsterdam }}</ref> The governor and the councillors fled to Sommelsdijk from where they negotiated a ransom for the colony.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dbnl.org/tekst/geyl001gesc01_01/geyl001gesc01_01_0037.php?q=Fort%20Sommelsdijk#hl5 |title=Geschiedenis van de Nederlandse stam |author=P. Geyl| year=1959|page=260|language=nl|publisher=Wereldbibliotheek N.V.|location=Amsterdam}}</ref> In 1715, it was decided to strengthen Sommeldijk.<ref name="arch"/>

In 1745, France threatened war on the Netherlands as part as of the War of the Austrian Succession,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://dbnl.org/tekst/_med009201701_01/_med009201701_01_0004.php?q=Fort%20Sommelsdijk#hl4 |title=Joan Jacob Mauricius (1692-1768): bouwstenen voor een biografie |magazine=Mededelingen van de Stichting Jacob Campo Weyerman|year=2017|author=John Besseling|language=nl|access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref> therefore, it was decided to build Fort Nieuw-Amsterdam at the confluence of the Suriname and the Commewijne River in order to better protect the plantations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wereldvandehaai.nl/20-haaienblog/72-gevangenis-forten |title=Fort Nieuw Amsterdam - Suriname|website=Wereld van de haai|access-date=17 January 2022|language=nl}}</ref> In 1748, it was decided to abandoned Sommelsdijk as a fort,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dbnl.org/tekst/_sur001183101_01/_sur001183101_01_0024.php?q=Fort%20Sommelsdijk%201748#hl1 |page=256 |title=Surinaamsche Almanak voor het Jaar 1831|year=1830|website=Digital Library for Dutch Literature|access-date=17 January 2022|language=nl}}</ref> and only use it as a military outpost.<ref name="arch"/>

In 1785, the Moravian Church received permission to reuse the fort as a missionary post. In 1789, a hospital was established at the location. The mission post was abandoned in 1818, and the hospital closed in 1870.<ref name="arch"/>

== References == <references/>

Category:Commewijne District Sommelsdijk Category:Dutch colonisation of the Guianas