Bethesda, Suriname

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bethesda
Former leper colony
Bethesda (1947)
Bethesda (1947)
Bethesda is located in Suriname
Bethesda
Bethesda
Location in Suriname
Coordinates: 5°36′44″N 55°03′51″W / 5.6122°N 55.0641°W / 5.6122; -55.0641Coordinates: 5°36′44″N 55°03′51″W / 5.6122°N 55.0641°W / 5.6122; -55.0641
CountryFlag of Suriname.svg Suriname
DistrictPara District
Resort (municipality)Oost

Bethesda was a Moravian leper colony from 1899[1] until 1933.[2] The name refers to the healing of the paralytic at Bethesda by Jesus. The colony was located near Paranam in the Oost resort on the Suriname River.[3] It was located on the former sugar[4] plantation Groot Chatillon[5] The Catholic leper colony which used to be at Batavia had moved nearby.[6]

Overview[]

Bethesda was founded in 1899[1] as a small leprosy colony. In 1902, Henry Weiss left for the United States with some pictures of the colony taken by Martha Stern in order to raise funds.[7] Weiss managed to visit President Theodore Roosevelt.[8] The mission was clearly successful, because the next set of photographs by Martha Stern display an American flag.[7]

The colony treated between 50 and 60 patients in the period 1910–1921.[1] The colony was a little agricultural village with several pavilions, and some residential houses in a park. The patients did not receive any wages, and were expected to work, if able.[9] The care for the lepers was partially financed by donations, and partially by a Government subsidy of ƒ 250.00 (1910. 2018: €2,856[10]) per year per patient.[11] On 25 October 1951, A.C.W. Lionarons, a doctor in Paramaribo, left his entire fortune to the foundation which as of 2002 was worth over a million euros.[12]

In 1933, the colony was moved, because of flooding, to Livorno, near the present harbour of Paramaribo, and renamed to Nieuw Bethesda.,[13] where it has remained in function until 1962.[2]

Lepers are nowadays treated in the Academic Hospital Paramaribo.[14] The Bethesda Foundation is still active, and since 2007 has broadened its target audience to people with a severe handicap in Suriname,[15] because the rate of leprosy has declined.[16]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Groot Chatillon, Bethesda, and Saint Gerardus Majella (Surinam)". Leprosy History. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Repertorium van Nederlandse zendings- en missie-archieven 1800-1960". Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Where is Bethesda in Suriname?". Geo Targit. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Plantage Groot Chatillon". Suriname Plantages (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Batavia en de Coppename rivier". Suriname.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Batavia in history". Batavia Suriname. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Machtsverhouding fotocollectie Page 564" (PDF). The E-Journal of the Anton de Kom University of Suriname (in Dutch). 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Damiaan". Suriname.nu (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Bethesda". Leprosy History (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  10. ^ "De waarde van de gulden / euro". Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië - Page 55 - Armen en weezenverpleging" (PDF). Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 1916. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  12. ^ "Het legaat van Lionarons". Bethesda Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  13. ^ "MAJELLA STICHTING". Pix4Profs (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Geschiedenis van Lepra". Bethesda Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Bethesda Suriname". Bethesda Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  16. ^ "Leprosy in Suriname". World Life Expectancy. Retrieved 23 May 2020.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""