Feel the cool river breeze on your skin. We stand before the Stenen Trap. This isn’t just any old pier. It’s a silent witness to centuries of Surinamese history.
The Stenen Trap or Stone Staircase as it’s known was built around 1670 by Governor van Sommelsdijck. Before its construction ships had to anchor offshore. Goods and people arrived via smaller boats. This changed everything. This stone staircase became the main landing point for Paramaribo.
Imagine the scene in the 17th century. Ships from faraway lands arrive. Their cargo includes not only goods but also enslaved Africans. They stepped onto this very spot. Their journeys were long painful and filled with unspeakable suffering. This staircase was their first step onto Surinamese soil. A new beginning. A new hell.
Later in 1744 Charles Marie de La Condamine a French mathematician arrived here. He had measured a degree of meridian in Peru to determine the Earth’s shape. He calculated the exact latitude of Paramaribo. He installed a copper compass rose on the Stenen Trap’s pavement. It was an important step in scientific and geographical mapping. This very site served as a crucial reference point for navigation for years to come.
For over 150 years the Stenen Trap stood as a silent testament to the horrors of slavery. Thousands of enslaved Africans were brought ashore here. They faced lives of unimaginable hardship and brutality.
In 1947 the Stenen Trap became the reference point for creating Suriname’s topographic maps using aerial photography. This inconspicuous staircase played a crucial role in cartographic history. It shaped how we visualize and understand Suriname’s geography.
The Stenen Trap has undergone restoration. Its original copper wind rose was stolen but a stone one replaced it. On June 30 2018 a plaque was unveiled to commemorate the abolition of slavery 155 years prior. It serves as a solemn reminder of the injustices of the past. It’s a powerful reminder. A somber reflection.
Today the Stenen Trap stands as a powerful symbol. It’s a tribute to resilience hope and the ongoing fight for equality. It is a place to remember reflect and learn from the past.