THE HAGUE/PARAMARIBO — On October 2, King Willem-Alexander will be presented with the results of an extensive, independent investigation into the role of the House of Orange-Nassau in the colonial history of the Netherlands. The project, which started three years ago at the initiative of the king himself, highlights the period from 1600 to 2025.
The findings will be published in five books and are expected to shed new light on the specific historical ties, colonial power and possible financial benefits of the House of Orange in Suriname. Lead researcher Gert Oostindie will hand over the publications in the Academy Building of Leiden University.
“The presentation must provide a definitive answer to the extent to which the Oranges were historically and financially intertwined with the Surinamese colonial past”
Impact of the royal family
About sixty researchers have worked on the project in recent years. Although the exact conclusions will only be made public at the presentation on October 2, the relevance for Suriname is great. One of the five books focuses specifically on colonial power, profit and prestige. The researchers looked broadly at the impact of the royal family on the former colonies, focusing on themes such as the history of slavery and exploitation in Suriname.
King Willem-Alexander commissioned the research at the end of 2022. “In-depth knowledge of the past is essential to be able to face its impact on people and communities as clearly and honestly as possible,” the king stated at the time as motivation.
In addition to scientific studies, a biographical study of the House of Orange (from William the Silent to Willem-Alexander) and an international comparative book on European royal houses will be published. Oostindie wrote the book ‘Orange and the Colonies, 1600-2025′ for the general public. The colonial history of the House of Orange-Nassau’, of which an English version will be released at the same time.
No substantive interference
According to the Government Information Service (RVD), the Royal House had no substantive involvement in the design, implementation or conclusions of the project. In contrast, for the first time, the researchers were given full access to relevant and previously closed sources from the private archives of the Royal House, managed by the Royal Collections.
The research supervisory committee also had strong Surinamese involvement. Part of this committee is Kathleen Ferrier, expert in the field of international relations and human rights, and daughter of the first president of Suriname, Johan Ferrier.
The presentation should provide a definitive answer to the extent to which the Oranges were historically and financially intertwined with the Surinamese colonial past. After the presentation of the research results on October 2, which will be broadcast live on Dutch television, King Willem-Alexander himself will respond to the findings.
