| Fort Duurstede | |
|---|---|
Fort Duurstede | |
 Main entrance of Duurstede Fort | |
 | |
| Etymology | Named after the town of Wijk bij Duurstede in the Netherlands. |
General information | |
| Type | Fort |
| Location |  Saparua, Maluku Tengah, Indonesia |
Fort Duurstede is a 17th-century colonial Dutch fort in Saparua, Indonesia[1][2] The fort originally protected Saparoea village. A navigation guide from 1878 advises: "There is good anchorage near this fort in the westerly monsoon in about 12 fathoms."[3]
History
Duurstede Fort was first established in 1676, though its more permanent structure was built and fortified by the Governor of Ambon, Nicolaas Schaghen, in 1691. Throughout the colonial era, the fort served as both a military defense hub and the administrative center for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the Saparua region.[4]
On May 15, 1817, the people of Saparua, led by Kapitan Pattimura, launched a fierce assault on the fort. The uprising resulted in the deaths of nearly all inhabitants, with the sole survivor being Jean Lubbert van den Berg, the son of the resident. The fall of Duurstede to the Moluccan people significantly destabilized the Dutch East Indies' position from Ambon to Batavia. Despite several attempts to reclaim the fort, Dutch counter-attacks repeatedly failed.[5]
Facing a desperate situation, Commissioner van Middelkoop took aggressive action by requesting military reinforcements from Batavia. Rear Admiral Buyskes arrived in Ambon on September 30, 1817, aboard the massive warship 'Prins Frederik' under the command of Captain van Senden. Equipped with 40 heavy cannons, the warship brought 250 infantrymen from Batavia, further bolstered by 160 soldiers from Ambon, bringing the total strike force to 410 personnel.[6]
Buyskes implemented a siege strategy, seizing control of the islands surrounding Saparua before penetrating Pattimura’s main defenses. This tactical pressure eventually forced Pattimura’s troops to retreat into the sago forests and mountains. Ultimately, Kapitan Pattimura and his four commanders were captured and sentenced to death by hanging at Fort Nieuw Victoria.[7]
gallery
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Map of Fort Duurstede on Saparua -
Fort at Saparua, by Charles William Meredith van de Velde, 1844 -
A recent view of Duurstede Fort -
Iron cannon at Duurstede Fort -
Inscription at the entrance gate, Duurstede Fort -
Aerial view of Duurstede Fort
References
- ^ "Saparua: The Centre of the Lease Islands". East-Indonesia.info. 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Anonyme. CONNAISSANCE DES TEMPS ou DES MOUVEMENTS CÉLESTES, A L'USAGE DES ASTRONOMES ET DES NAVIGATEURS, POUR L'AN 1891 [KNOWLEDGE OF CELESTIAL TIME or MOVEMENTS, FOR THE USE ASTRONOMERS and MARINERS FOR THE YEAR 1891 (Online at BNF Gallica)] (in French). Paris: LE BUREAU DES LONGITUDES. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
Saparoua, fort Duurstede 3.34.37 S. 126.18.40 8.25.14,7 Bur. hydr. hollandais.
- ^ Findlay, Alexander George (1878). A directory for the navigation of the Indian Archipelago, China, and Japan ... London: Richard Holmes Laurie. p. 828. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Findlay, Alexander George (1878). A directory for the navigation of the Indian Archipelago, China, and Japan ... London: Richard Holmes Laurie. p. 828. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Findlay, Alexander George (1878). A directory for the navigation of the Indian Archipelago, China, and Japan ... London: Richard Holmes Laurie. p. 828. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Findlay, Alexander George (1878). A directory for the navigation of the Indian Archipelago, China, and Japan ... London: Richard Holmes Laurie. p. 828. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Findlay, Alexander George (1878). A directory for the navigation of the Indian Archipelago, China, and Japan ... London: Richard Holmes Laurie. p. 828. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
3°34′00″S 128°39′00″E / 3.5667°S 128.6500°E
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