Johan Adolf Pengel

Johan Adolf Pengel (1963)

Johan Adolf Pengel , called Jopie (born January 20, 1916 in Paramaribo , Suriname , † June 5, 1970 ibid), was a Surinamese politician and prime minister.

Life

Pengel was born the son of a teacher. He was Afro-Surinamer and the Pengel family came from the La Prosperitè (Bersaba) wood plantation in the Para district . He attended the secondary school of the Evangelical Broedergemeente and after graduating from school he worked in the registry of the court in Paramaribo.

politics

In 1949 he was elected to Parliament ( Staten van Suriname ) for the Nationale Partij Suriname (NPS) . As the founder of the Surinamese Workers' Union and as a parliamentary group leader, from 1962 also as chairman of the NPS, Pengel developed into one of the most influential politicians in Suriname.

Pengel was the premier of Suriname from 1963 to 1969.

He was the first Surinamese politician to appear self-confident and demanding towards the colonial administration and thus gave many Surinamers a feeling of equality.

With the bloody racial unrest in neighboring Guyana in mind, he and Jagernath Lachmon , the chairman of the largest Hindustan party, Vooruitstrevende Hervormings Partij (VHP), led the so-called policy of fraternization between the two largest ethnic groups, the Creoles and Hindustans .

Pengel died of blood poisoning in Paramaribo at the age of 54 .

Honors

Statue of Johan Adolf Pengel

Suriname International Airport ( Zanderij ) is named in his honor in Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport . In 1974, a statue of Pengel was unveiled on Independence Square in the heart of Paramaribo. It was made on behalf of the Surinamese government by the sculptor Stuart Robles de Medina .

See also

• List of Prime Ministers of Suriname

literature

• Hans Breeveld: Jopie Pengel, 1916-1970. Leven en werk van een Surinaams politicus. Schoorl (Uitgeverij Conserve) 2000

Web links

Commons : Johan Adolf Pengel  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files