WILLEMSTAD - This Saturday, November 30, the National Archives of Curaçao will open its doors to the public. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the various departments and participate in a series of lectures and presentations.
The day will begin with a presentation by Clay Toppenberg, who will discuss a new approach to oral history through the lens of Curaçaoan youth. Toppenberg is known for his dedication to preserving oral traditions on the island.
Next, Max Scriwanek will offer a preview of the reprint of his publication on the 1795 slave uprising. Scriwanek, former director of the National Archives of Curaçao, has conducted extensive research into this pivotal event in Curaçao's history.
Later in the day, artist and activist Raul Balai and historian Leo Balai will present their project "Connected by Heritage: From Research to Art Presentation." Leo Balai is known for his research on the slave ship Leusden and the Amsterdam slave trade.
Modianne Cathalina and Coen van Galen will lead a workshop offering guidelines and tips for beginners interested in building a family tree. Van Galen, a senior lecturer at Radboud University, has worked with volunteers to make the slave registers of Suriname and Curaçao available online for genealogical research.
The day will conclude with a lecture by Coen van Galen on the escape of a group of enslaved Curaçaoans aboard the ship De Wolf in 1841.
Throughout the day, there will be an exhibition titled ‘HAAR: History of Hairstyles,’ curated by Instituto Buena Bista. This exhibition explores how historical hairstyles have influenced our current perceptions of hair and shaped our hairstyles today.
The National Archives of Curaçao, located at Scharlooweg 77 in Willemstad, manages the archives of Curaçao and its predecessors, the Netherlands Antilles. The archive holds approximately four kilometers of documents, maps, drawings, photos, negatives, slides, and videotapes, all of which are available for research, with some parts accessible online.