WIC in Brazil / Then & Now, 13 mei 19.30h. Amstelkerk

The unforseen consequences of colonialism. How WIC’s rule in Pernambuco lingers on today

In 1630 the Dutch West Indian Company (WIC), under the lead of Prince Johan Maurits van Nassau-Siegen, conquered the Portuguese colony of Pernambuco in the North-Eastern part of what we know today as Brazil. Although the Dutch had to hand over their conquered properties back to the Portuguese in 1654 already, their short stay still has consequences today. Unlike the Portuguese, who settled safe and sound on the hills inland, the Dutch established the city of Mauritsstad in the low laying river delta; conditions they were familiar with and that were profitable for the trade foreseen. Today however this location of the city -now known as Recife- is highly problematic, due to sea-level rise. Now, these water challenges bring the two countries together again. To protect their properties from Portuguese counter attacks and possible other invaders the WIC constructed an extensive defense line of fortresses along the Atlantic shores of Pernambuco. Most of the remaining forts of the Dutch rule are standing idle today. What relevance can they bring to a current society? This lecture evening will be conducted in English.

Programme

18h30 Meal  19h30 Introduction by Daan Lavies  19h35 400 years of Dutch Brazil by Oscar Hefting and Q&A  20h15 Pause  20h30 Designing for Extremes by Mila Avellar Montezuma and Q&A 21h15 End

The Lectures

400 Years of Dutch Brazil – Oscar Hefting

In 2030 it will be remembered that 400 years ago a part of Brazil was under Dutch rule. The Dutch West India Company (WIC) attempted, between 1630 and 1654, to gain a share in the lucrative sugar trade. To this end, it captured Olinda, the Portuguese capital of northeastern Brazil, as well as a coastal stretch of approximately eight hundred kilometers. In addition to Olinda, the Dutch built their own capital, Mauritsstad (today’s Recife), a city in the river delta that was familiar to them. Of the eighty fortifications that the WIC built or used, some are still visible today, and in some cases even still in use. Other forts from that period have been built over or remain hidden in the jungle. Modern techniques offer new opportunities for archaeological research. In addition, access to archives has improved significantly in recent years, creating prospects for new insights. In the years leading up to 2030, attention will be devoted to the position of Dutch Brazil in the Atlantic world through research, publications, education, and exhibitions. In this way, the connection between the two countries will be further strengthened.

Designing for Extremes: How a Dutch-Brazilian Cooperation reshaped a climate hotspot into a City-Park – Mila Avellar Montezuma

In the year 2037 Recife will commemorate the start -400 years ago- of its Dutch-designed Renaissance city plan. Yet, at the same time the amphibious city, being the world’s 16th climate hotspot, faces permanent submergence. This lecture explores 15 years of Recife Exchanges, a cultural South-North cooperation reframing water as heritage and as a strategic asset for adaptation. Co-evolving into a socio-political movement, blue-green infrastructure interacts with urban morphology to catalyze a cultural paradigm shift: designing a long-term vision for an amphibian deltaic metropolis. Highly participatory governance repositions our shared past into collaborative tackling future resilience challenges on both sides of the Atlantic, reimagining water-sensitive urbanism and spatial justice from municipal to national-scale.

About the speakers

Oscar Hefting studied archaeology at the University of Amsterdam, where he specialized in Dutch colonial fortifications. He was a member of the excavation team at Fort Orange in Brazil in 2002–2003, where a 17th-century Dutch fort (1631) was identified beneath an 18th-century Portuguese fort.

As Director of the New Holland Foundation, he coordinates the Atlases of Dutch Brazil, Dutch North America, and Dutch West Africa—comprehensive inventories of historical and archaeological material. In this role, Hefting aims to organize exhibitions and promote the conservation of Dutch heritage overseas.
Where fortifications once served to divide people, Hefting now promotes their use, and that of shared heritage, to bring cultures together.

Mila Avellar Montezuma is an Architect, Urbanist, and Landscape Designer with an MSc Water Science and Engineering, specialized in Sustainable Urban Water Management and Climate-Resilient Cities from UNESCO-IHE, TU Delft, and IHS Erasmus, and a post-graduation in Urban Heritage Strategies for Water Challenges (IHS, TU/Delft, RCE).

As a practitioner and researcher across public, academic and private sectors, Mila is deeply committed to advancing extreme climate adaptation through a research-by-design approach, with a focus on nature-driven technological strategies. She has been developing water-adaptive projects mainly in Brazil, Netherlands, China and Bangladesh.

Practical information

Costs The lecture costs €5 per person (free for ICOMOS members). Coffee, tea, and water are included; other drinks are available for purchase. Meal You are welcome to join us for dinner at 18:30. Unless stated otherwise, this will be an Indonesian rijsttafel. The cost is €15 per person. Coffee, tea, and water are included; other drinks are available for purchase. Please note: registrations or cancellations for the dinner must be made at least 48 hours in advance. Location Amstelkerk (Amstelveld 10, Amsterdam)

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