Can you see it there? That partly submerged wreck in the Suriname River is the Goslar. The Goslar’s story is one of intrigue, desperation and defiance.
This German cargo ship met an untimely end right here in Paramaribo. Built in Hamburg in 1929, the Goslar initially transported migrants to Philadelphia. In 1939, as World War II loomed, the Goslar sought refuge in Paramaribo’s harbor. The captain hoped to wait out the storm.
Initially, the Surinamese authorities welcomed the crew. The local police even helped quell a mutiny by some Chinese crew members. Imagine the scene forty Chinese revolting aboard a German ship in a Dutch colony. They were later put on an Italian ship and deported.
Everything changed when Nazi Germany attacked the Netherlands in May 1940. The local police received a telegram ordering the arrest of all Germans in the Dutch colony. But the crew of the Goslar were ready. They had anticipated this and prepared to sink their ship.
As the police commissioner of Paramaribo approached with officers, the Germans opened valves. They scuttled the Goslar right before their eyes. The ship settled into the shallow river. The Germans were taken into custody.
The sinking of the Goslar was not without its consequences. The Dutch authorities suspected the police commissioner Van Beek of sympathizing with Germany. He was temporarily suspended from duty because he failed to prevent the scuttling. To this day, some people call the Goslar hulk the ‘van Beek’ island.
Attempts were made to salvage the Goslar. But the damage was too extensive. The costs were too high. In 1955, the wreck broke in two. Both sections remain visible above the water’s surface.
The Goslar serves as a stark reminder of a world at war. It is a silent testament to a dramatic moment in Suriname’s history. It embodies the tensions and uncertainties of the time. The partially submerged wreck of the Goslar stands as a historical landmark. It whispers tales of a bygone era. So next time you see it, remember the story of the German ship that defied the Dutch authorities. Remember the Goslar.