Fort

Hollandia, fort (Saparua)

Initially the VOC only built a wooden hut to store trading goods at the village of Sirisori on the island of Saparua. Later palisade fencing was added and in 1626 under Governor Jan van Gorkum (1625–1628) the construction of a small fort was started. In 1633 this structure was damaged by an earthquake. In 1654 under governor Arnold de Vlaming van Outshoorn (1654-1656) the structure was expanded and built in stone. It was then that it was given the name Hollandia. In 1671 again the fort was hit by an earthquake. In the years that followed plans were made to rebuilt a fort here, but these plans were never fully realised. In 1685 the VOC hierarchy decided to abandon the fort in order to save money. In 1692 the remaining VOC personal moved to the newly built fort of Duurstede some five kilometres to the west. Today only the some wall fragments and parts of the foundation of fort Hollandia remain.

Images

Sources and literature

Pusat Dokumentasi Arsitektur, Inventory and identification of forts in Indonesia (2010)

Wall, V.I. van de, De Nederlandsche oudheden in de Molukken (1928)