Fort Amsterdam (Ambon)
The Fort Amsterdam ( Indonesian Benteng Amsterdam ) is a fortress on the Indonesian island of Ambon , which in 1637 by the Dutch East India Company was built.
location
The fort is located in the village of Hila on the north coast of Ambons. It is about 40 km to the capital of the island. From the fort you have a good view of Seram Island and Hila Beach.
building
On the ground floor of the rectangular three-story building there was a prison cell and the soldiers' bedrooms . The first floor was used as a lounge and the third floor served as a viewing platform.
history
Even before the Dutch , the Portuguese established a trading post on the site of today's fort in the 16th century. As part of the colonization of the Moluccas by the Dutch, the trade base was expanded into a defensive installation in 1937. This was steadily expanded in the following years and was finally named Fort Amsterdam in 1556. The facility served as protection from invaders who disrupted the Dutch colonial power's spice trade . At the beginning of the 20th century the fort was abandoned and neglected, so that nature recaptured the area. In 1991, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture finally commissioned a restoration, which was carried out in 1993. All three floors and the outdoor area are now open to visitors and the fort serves as a tourist attraction.
Trivia
The German botanist and mercenary Rumphius lived next to the fort for a few years.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Amsterdam Fortress. Indonesia Tourism, accessed December 19, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Horst H. Geerken: The gold of the bandas: The story of the nutmeg: The fateful treasure of the forgotten islands that once wrote world history . 1st edition. BoD - Books on Demand, 2019, ISBN 978-3-7494-9835-2 , pp. 365 .
Coordinates: 3 ° 34 ′ 57.7 " S , 128 ° 4 ′ 59.5" E