Suriname: Sounding Heritage Week

Paramaribo has a unique and elaborate collection of sounding heritage, consisting of bells, tower clocks, historical pipe organs and carillons. This sounding heritage presents an important and vital dimension to the outstanding universal value of this historic city, which is listed as UNESCO World Heritage.

To increase awareness of this special heritage, the Suriname Built Heritage Foundation, the Cultural Directorate of the Surinamese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and senior specialist Rudi van Straten of the Cultural Heritage Agency of Netherlands decided to organise Sounding Heritage Week. During this festive week there were workshops, excursions, lectures and a number of concerts. Further, the week marked the start of ‘phase one’ of the restoration of the unique and monumental Maarschalkelweerd organ and its subsequent return to Paramaribo’s cathedral.

In 2014, the Suriname Built Heritage Foundation and the Cultural Heritage Agency worked together to produce an inventory of Paramaribo’s sounding heritage. One of the positive outcomes of the research project was the conclusion that the Maarschalkerweerd organ in the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Peter and Paul could be restored. The first phase of the restoration will start this November.

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