National Archives of Suriname Nationaal Archief Suriname (NAS)

Overview

The National Archives of Suriname (Nationaal Archief Suriname, NAS) is the national archival institution of the Republic of Suriname, located in Paramaribo. It operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Binnenlandse Zaken) and serves as the primary repository for government archives and records of national historical significance.

History and Founding

The Landsarchiefdienst was founded on 10 November 1956 as a national oversight body for ministerial archives. In 1982, a separate institution, the Staatsarchief, was founded under the Ministry of Education. In 1989, these two institutions were merged. In 2006, the consolidated entity was officially renamed the National Archives of Suriname. In January 2017, the final set of Surinamese archives held in the Netherlands from the colonial period was repatriated from the Dutch Nationaal Archief in The Hague, completing a transfer project that began in 2009.

Collections and Holdings

The NAS is the repository for transferred archives of central and regional government bodies, parastatal companies and institutions, as well as private organizations. Most holdings date from the Dutch colonial period, which ended with Surinamese independence in 1975. Notable collections include government secretariat records dating to 1684, extensive notarial registers (1699–1828) covering trade and maritime commerce, and slavery registers (1830–1863) that were digitised and made publicly accessible in 2018 through a collaborative project with the Dutch National Archives. The archives also hold records concerning Jewish refugee history and immigration documentation.

Repatriation and Digitisation

The 2017 repatriation from The Hague transferred major colonial-era archival collections to Paramaribo. Prior to repatriation, the Dutch Nationaal Archief scanned the complete inventories, ensuring continued international access. Digitisation efforts have included the slavery registers, newspaper archives in collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), and genealogical records.

Access

The NAS is open to researchers and the public during regular reading room hours. Access to some records may require prior arrangement.