Pioniers van de Surinaamse geschiedschrijving

Abstract

Pioneers of Surinamese historiography. A transatlantic exchange of manuscripts? In 1861, the Amsterdam-based publishing company H. de Hoogh published A History of Surinam by Julien Wolbers (1828-1889), followed two years later by the publication of A Brief History of the Colony of Surinam by Maria Vlier (1819-1908). Surinamist Ellen Neslo and Japanist Steven Hagers suggest that Wolbers used the manuscript of Vlier for his study. In this article the possibility of knowledge sharing between both authors – who lived on opposite sides of the ocean with different perspectives on Surinam – is studied. We conclude that it is unlikely that Wolbers had access to the manuscript of Vlier. On the contrary, it is plausible that Vlier used the first published parts of Wolbers’ work for her study.