Fancy a journey through time and transformation? We are standing before Rust en Werk. This place whispers tales of coffee, sugar, cocoa and livestock. It is all interwoven with the lives of those who shaped it.
Rust en Werk started as a coffee plantation in 1770. Governor Wigbold Crommelin built it. He also established two other plantations nearby. These were Lust tot Rust and Einde Rust. Together, they covered a thousand acres. Crommelin chose coffee as it needed less elaborate canals than sugar. He served as governor in Suriname. Due to his position, Rust en Werk was called Granmangron. This means great man’s ground in Sranan Tongo.
In 1774, Crommelin sold the three plantations to Pieter Constantijn Nobel. J.F. Andree managed the plantations from a distance. He oversaw 35 plantations. In 1783, each plantation expanded by 250 acres.
After Nobel’s widow died in 1808, her daughter Constantia Gerhardina and her husband Theodor Gülcher took over. In 1821, they grew coffee and cacao. The three plantations then comprised 2192 acres. By 1843, they partly switched to cotton.
At that time, 296 enslaved people worked here. Christian missionaries began their work. Missionaries were allowed at Lust tot Rust. Pieter Constantijn Gülcher settled evangelical brothers at Rust en Werk in 1844. They founded a missionary school. They taught the enslaved Christian values of work, family, discipline and Bible knowledge.
During the emancipation of 1863, 430 enslaved people lived on the plantation. Later, 938 Hindustani and 1401 Javanese contract workers came to Rust en Werk.
Jan Marie Gülcher took over after Pieter Constantijn’s death. In 1889, he founded Cultuurmaatschappij Rust en Werk. He switched to sugar production. He installed a canal system. A sugar factory was built. Jan Marie’s relative, who had sugar businesses in the Dutch East Indies, provided knowledge for sugar refining. Carel Frederik Gülcher ended the business in 1934.
In 1947, the Dutch candy company Jamin bought Rust en Werk. It became part of Verenigde Cultuur Maatschappijen N.V. The plan was to grow cacao for chocolate. However, dry seasons in the 1960s ruined this plan.
In 1979, Armand van Alen bought the plantation. He used the land of eight plantations for livestock farming. He also had an experimental fish farm called Comfish. He initially raised tilapia and later switched to shrimp.
Today, Rust en Werk has become the livestock capital of Commewijne. The Van Alen family owns eight contiguous plantations. They have rehabilitated them for cattle rearing. They also run an experimental fish farm. There are almost 5000 hectares of meadows. Over 5600 cows, 550 sheep and goats, 40 buffalo and 20 horses call it home. The Van Alens restored the irrigation system. The plantations are surrounded by a dam with moats and restored sluices.
The village of Rust en Werk is the only growing village on this side of the Commewijne River. Today the Verenigde Cultuur Maatschappijen are located here. It is a company with livestock farming, crop cultivation and three butcher shops. The company owns 5600 hectares of land.
Rust en Werk offers guided tours. You can explore by bike or cart. An antique lock and vegetable gardens cultivated by Javanese residents can still be seen. You can savor local dishes and refreshing coconut water at ‘t VCM Hoekhuis near the public jetty.
Rust en Werk is more than just a location. It is a living story of resilience and reinvention. It reflects Suriname’s rich agricultural heritage.