Name: Poster Wall Haags Gemeentearchief – Afro-Surinamese History in The Hague
Start: 2026-07-29T05:00:00
End: 2026-07-29T17:00:00
Location: Atrium Den Haag

The Hague City Archives presents a free poster wall at Atrium Den Haag exploring the history of Afro-Surinamese people in the city. From the colonial slavery past to the jazz scene of the 1920s and the growing Surinamese community after World War II, the exhibition sheds light on a rich and often overlooked chapter of The Hague's urban history.

The history of Afro-Surinamese people in The Hague

People of African descent have lived in The Hague for centuries, yet their history has long remained underexposed. The poster wall by The Hague City Archives brings that story into the public space of the Atrium. The starting point is the Dutch slavery past: from the 17th century onwards, people from various parts of Africa were forcibly transported to Suriname and made to work on plantations. That system generated considerable wealth for prominent Hague families through plantation profits and shares in colonial trading companies.

Jazz in The Hague and the first Surinamese musicians

In the 1920s and 30s, jazz broke through in Europe at the very moment more Surinamese people were moving to the Netherlands. Entrepreneurs opened so-called All Negro establishments, and Afro-Surinamese people who struggled to find work seized those opportunities. They taught themselves to play instruments and performed under English-sounding stage names. Arthur Parisius became Kid Dynamite, brothers Alexander and Theodore Kantoor presented themselves as Eddy and Teddy Cotton, and saxophonist and bandleader Lex van Spall performed worldwide. The Hague had its own jazz clubs: in September 1936, the Negro Shim Sham Club opened at Nieuwstraat 28, followed in June 1937 by the Negro Melody Club at the Circustheater in Scheveningen.

A community that has permanently shaped The Hague

World War II hit the Surinamese community in The Hague hard as well. After the war, the community continued to grow and became firmly embedded in the city's social fabric. The poster wall shows how those roots ran deeper over time, through music, entrepreneurship, activism, and everyday life. The Hague City Archives draws on its own collections for this exhibition, supplemented by personal contributions from people whose family histories are closely intertwined with the city.

The poster wall is displayed in Atrium Den Haag, the public heart of the city hall on the Spui. Entry is free, making it easily accessible to both residents and visitors of The Hague. A visit takes as long as you like and requires no reservation.