Curaçao GENEALOGY

From 1839 to 1863 it was mandatory in Curaçao to register enslaved people in the so-called slave register . After the abolition of slavery on July 1, 1863, registers of freedmen were created. These registers are also called emancipation registers, because emancipation is the term used to indicate the abolition of slavery.

The Endangered Archives Programme (EAP) facilitates the digitisation of archives around the world that are in danger of destruction, neglect or physical deterioration. Thanks to generous funding from Arcadia, a charitable foundation that works to preserve cultural heritage and promote open access to knowledge, we have provided grants to almost 500 projects in over ninety countries worldwide, in more than a hundred languages and scripts.

The FamilySearch Research Wiki is a free, online genealogical guide created and maintained by FamilySearch, a non-profit organization. It contains links to genealogy databases, websites, other resources, research strategies, and genealogical guidance to assist in the search for your ancestors. Articles included are locality pages for countries around the world and topic pages that include pertinent genealogy record types explaining how to use the record, what it contains, and how to find it.

We supervise the management of the government archives to be selected, ensure the professional management of the non-destructible archives and the preservation of our cultural historical heritage, i.e. the memory of our country, with the aim of contributing to an improvement in quality of our administrative administrative functioning and the promotion of our historical awareness.

ShipIndex.org simplifies vessel research. Whether you’re a genealogist, a maritime historian, a researcher, or just curious, we can help you learn more about the ships that interest you. We tell you which maritime resources, such as books, journals, magazines, newspapers, CD-ROMs, websites, and online databases mention the ships that interest you. We enhance these references by noting which ones include illustrations or crew and passenger lists, and where you can find or purchase the resource.

The SlaveVoyages website is a collaborative digital initiative that compiles and makes publicly accessible records of the largest slave trades in history. Search these records to learn about the broad origins and forced relocations of more than 12 million African people who were sent across the Atlantic in slave ships, and hundreds of thousands more who were trafficked within the Americas. Explore where they were taken, the numerous rebellions that occurred, the horrific loss of life during the voyages, the identities and nationalities of the perpetrators, and much more.

Index of enslaved people in Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles who were emancipated in 1863.

CBG | Center for Family History in The Hague is the owner of WieWasWie.nl. CBG is the national center for knowledge, documentation and publicity for genealogy and heraldry in the Netherlands.

Ancestry message boards contain over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards.

Ancestry message boards contain over 25 million posts on more than 198,000 boards.

The Digital Library of the Caribbean is a cooperative digital library for resources from and about the Caribbean & circum-Caribbean.

The Early Caribbean Digital Archive is an open access collection of pre-twentieth-century Caribbean texts, maps, and images. Texts include travel narratives, novels, poetry, natural histories, and diaries that have not been brought together before as a single collection focused on the Caribbean. The materials in the archive are primarily authored and published by Europeans, but the ECDA aims to use digital tools to "remix" the archive and foreground the centrality and creativity of enslaved and free African, Afro-creole, and Indigenous peoples in the Caribbean world.

History Hub is a research support community for everyone, including genealogists, historians, and citizen archivists.

The collection consists of Antilliana and Judaica publications which date back to the 17th century. The original collection of Mongui Maduro forms the basis of the library. New publications are constantly being acquired so that it will continue to be an authorative source on the evolution of the political, social and cultural history of Curaçao in particular and the Dutch Caribbean and Caribbean region in general. Besides books, the collection contains also periodicals published in Curaçao or relating to Curaçao history and Jewish history in Curaçao.

The Netherlands Antilles family history research page lists data collections relevant to Netherlands Antilles.

Start your search here to find ancestors originating from Netherlands Antilles and to research historical records pertaining to Netherlands Antilles.

Our mission is to give old maps a new life in the online world via the Old Maps Online search catalog that allows visitors to explore and discover the beauty of historical maps depicting a past geographical place of their interest.

Dating back respectively to the middle of the 17th and 19th centuries, Beth Haim Bleinheim and Beth Haim Berg Altena are the final resting places of over 6,000 Curaçao Jews.

Feel free to browse our website to help honor our Jewish ancestors, search our database to find relatives, and bring the deceased back to life again.

Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one's memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world.

We have successfully collected information about thousands of Jewish cemetery sites all over the world along with information on the location of the cemetery, and how to obtain more information. Each Jewish cemetery or burial site listed in the project by town or city, country, and geographic region is based on current locality designation. Some listings include links to other websites with additional information such as burial lists or a name to contact by email or snail-mail.

HaChayim HaYehudim Jewish Photo Library is an archive of images from the Jewish world. Jewish communities in the Caribbean featured include Aruba, Barbados, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Nevis, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Eustatius, St. Thomas, and Trinidad.

Harry A. Franck (1881-1962) was a University of Michigan graduate (1903), avid traveler, and veteran of both world wars. He wrote thirty-three travel books describing Europe, South and Central America, China, Japan, and many other places. His most popular books include A Vagabond Journey Around the World (1910) and Zone Policeman 88 (1913). His books routinely featured photographs he took during his journeys: landscapes, street scenes, working people with the tools of their trade, portraits, and snapshots.

The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs is a singular collection of more than 3,500 historical images from 34 countries including Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. This visual record contains studio portraits, landscapes and tourist views and brings to life the changing economies, environments and communities that emerged post-emancipation. The Collection includes nearly every photographic format available during the years 1840 to 1940, including prints, postcards, daguerreotypes, lantern slides, albums, and stereographs.

The National Archives manages 15 million photos. You can view more than one million photos online. The photo collection provides an overview of events from the period between 1865 and 1990.

The KITLV image collection holds photographs, prints and drawings that were acquired by The Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV). Housed at Leiden University Libraries since 2014, as part of the KITLV library collection.

The biggest part of the image collection consists of photographs. Around 1890 the KITLV started collecting photographs for the purpose of documenting the image of the Dutch East and West Indies in all their facets, such as landscapes, town views, architecture, and life under indigenous and Dutch rule and so forth.

Easy-to-use software that helps you fix your pics and documents fast! Free to try - no credit card required.

The David Rumsey Map Collection was started over 35 years ago and contains more than 200,000 maps. The collection focuses on rare 16th through 21st century maps of North and South America, as well as maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The collection includes atlases, globes, wall maps, school geographies, pocket maps, books of exploration, maritime charts, and a variety of cartographic materials including pocket, wall, children's, and manuscript maps. Items range in date from around 1550 to the present.

Our mission is to give old maps a new life in the online world via the Old Maps Online search catalog that allows visitors to explore and discover the beauty of historical maps depicting a past geographical place of their interest.

Visit and explore the Museums in Curaçao, offering a rich tapestry of history, culture, and aspirations. With over 20 diverse options, immerse yourself in our colorful, intercultural community. Whether delving into the past, experiencing the present, or envisioning the future, each museum promises valuable insights and maybe even a personal discovery.

The CBG Centrum voor familiegeschiedenis is the Dutch research centre for genealogical and heraldic studies. It is a non-profit foundation that has been founded on May 15, 1945, with the aim of bringing together a number of archive collections and making research of genealogy and related studies easier.

CuracaoJews.org is an initiative of the Jewish Cultural Historical Museum as we approach 400 years of Jewish life recorded on the island of Curaçao.

The Curaçao Maritime Museum takes you on a journey of discovery of more than 500 years of Curaçao's maritime and national history.

Discover Curaçao's maritime heritage at our museum, featuring nautical charts, ship models, navigation equipment, and engaging displays.

Revitalization initiatives that directly improve and enhance architectural design, infrastructure & parks in Curaçao.

The Dutch Caribbean Heritage Platform was founded on June 11th 2014 and consists of 11 foundations concerned with Cultural Heritage.

Fort church, a historical monument and museum, was built in 1769 as part of Fort Amsterdam, which is now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The Fort church is the oldest church on the island and is a Protestant church. The museum is home to an elegant collection of artifacts, and cultural treasures that tell the rich history of the protestant community of Curaçao. Examples include utensils from the Dutch Protestant congregation, including antique silver chalices and a mahogany and silver baptism font. A collection of old maps and a display of the island’s most prominent families are also on display.

Step into the vibrant world of the recently reopened Museo Tula. As the island’s pioneering community museum, we present a Museum without Walls, featuring diverse artworks both within and around our space. Explore exhibits honoring ancestors, revealing their history and resilience. Museo Tula delves into themes of resistance, resilience, and emancipation, offering insights into slave revolts, escape, language preservation, and leadership. Join us to discover and celebrate the spirit of our community.

This digital platform (in development) will collect and share all available information on the cultural heritage of the Dutch Caribbean islands and make it accessible to educators, lifelong learners, and the general public.

The National Maritime Museum shows the strong connection between the maritime world and society as a whole, and more specifically the impact of this on the lives of many individuals.

The National Maritime Museum recognizes that as a museum, we can and must commit ourselves more actively to combating (institutional) racism; as an institution, in our collection, in our programming, together with our audience and with our current and future social partners.

The Jewish Cultural Historical Museum (JCHM) was founded in 1970 to preserve and display objects related to the Jewish community of Curaçao. Today, the museum maintains its original mission and promotes research and record keeping of important objects and history of Jewish Curaçao.

Landhuis Bloemhof is a cultural center dedicated to the memory of May Henriquez and housed in an eighteenth-century Plantation House. May was a writer and sculptress, a benefactor and promotor of the arts, with a special love for the Papiamentu language, among others she published two books on its use in Jewish circles. See how art, history and nature combine to provide a remarkable experience.

A foundation, in memory of Salomon (Mongui) Abraham Levy Maduro, and carrying his name, was established on March 5, 1974 by his widow Mrs. Rachel Louise (Lou) L. Maduro and their daughter Mrs. Ena Dankmeijer-Maduro. The Foundation encompasses the plantation house “Rooi Catootje”, its antique furniture and its priceless library, containing a unique collection of “Antilliana” and “Judaica”.

Tambú Museum Shon Cola is a museum that highlights the history of the tambú and is located in a historic house, the Kas di Kaha, which is a traditional building style, especially in Bándariba (the East side). The collection provides information on the history of the tambú, among others the spread of the tambú from Curaçao to Bonaire, Aruba, Las Tunas in Cuba, Coro in Venezuela and Holland. The collection also includes Africanism in Curaçao, the origin of the native language “Papiamentu”, tambú rituals, the organology of the tambú, the repression and resistance of the tambú. Surrounded by nature and traditional outdoor ovens with freshly baked bread on Sundays.

The museum is in the rural western part of Curaçao, in a traditionally restored 19th century cottage (‘Kunuku’ House). A ‘Kunuku’ house is also known as ‘Kas di Pali Maishi’ or ‘Kas di Yerba’. The museum focuses on the heritage of the African Curaçao people from 1850 up to 1950. The ‘Kunuku’ house still has its traditional features and gives an impression of the daily routines and traditions. The strong relationship with nature and the repurposing of different artifacts are two of the essential components. Throughout the interactive tour in our open-air museum, the visitor will sing and dance along with our museum-educators as they experience our history for themselves.

Museum Kurá Hulanda is an anthropological museum that focuses on the predominant cultures of Curaçao. It offers a world-class chronicle of the Origin of Man, the African slave trade, West African Empires, Mesopotamian artifacts and Antillean art. The museum exhibits the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in its entirety, from slavery capture in Africa through the Middle Passage and the relocation to the New World. With a vast collection of artifacts from continental Africa, this museum demonstrates the dynamic vitality and great empires of West Africa and how the African and diverse cultural heritage has influenced Curaçao and Caribbean societies until today.

National Archaeological Anthropological Memory Management Foundation – NAAM – Curaçao is a non-profit organization committed to the conservation and identification of the tangible and intangible heritage of the Dutch Caribbean.

Within the next few years, the Nationaal Slavernijmuseum, a new national museum of slavery, should open its doors to the public. Documenting the history of transatlantic slavery and slavery in the Dutch colonies in the Indian Ocean will be the museum’s guiding principle. The museum’s content will target a broad audience, with a focus on education, art, information and research. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science supports the initiative.

Savonet museum is established in the former plantation house (Landhuis) of the Savonet Plantation, one of the largest and oldest plantations of Curaçao, located in the heart of Christoffelpark. The museum provides visitors with a glimpse into the lives of the former inhabitants of the area. From the earliest Arawak Indians who arrived at the island almost 4000 years ago to modern times. The Savonet museum tells the story from the first inhabitants of Bandabou to the present day by using historical artifacts. The slogan of Savonet ‘where culture meets nature’ is honored with the exhibition ‘nos naturalesa (our nature)’, which shows an overview of our rich nature.

”Verhalen over leven helpen overleven zodra ze gedeeld worden”.

Onder dat motto zet Stichting VerhalenOverLeven zich in om verborgen verhalen en geschiedenissen van (koloniale) migranten en hun nazaten zichtbaar te maken in educatieve en erfgoedprojecten. Oral history, ofwel het losmaken en vastleggen van (levens)verhalen en geschiedenissen als mondelinge bron, is daarbij een veel gekozen methodiek.

Family history of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish diaspora.

We have many differences in the Caribbean, namely language, but also many similarities. In this week's episode, Dr. Margo Groenewoud shares with us the creative, political, and social histories of the Dutch Caribbean and why she believes islands like Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao are sometimes neglected in discussions about the Caribbean region.

The Caribbean is rich with diversity, including our languages. In this episode, Keisha I. Wiel joins us in sharing about the history of Papiamentu/o, the widely spoken language in the Dutch Caribbean islands, and even official language in Aruba and Curaçao, that combines Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese. Keisha Wiel is a PhD candidate in the anthropology department at Temple University with a concentration in linguistic anthropology.

This group is for sharing resources and assisting with research relating to Caribbean ancestry and history.

Welcome to the Caribbean Research Community! This group was created to give people researching the region a place to ask questions, collaborate, and share research with one another.

Genealogical Translations was established to provide amateur family researchers a place to have their genealogical documents translated. We are a global volunteer group whose members help other members by offering free translation of their genealogical documents such as vital records, postcards, obituaries, and more, in languages including – Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and many others!

UNESCO World Heritage City Willemstad.

History, colors and beauty.

Welcome to the page where past meets present.

Vintage photos and videos of Curaçao in the old days.

Plantation Houses of Curaçao.

History, cultural heritage and beauty.

Feel free to share your own memories and experiences about life on Curacao.

Join host Wendy Aris as she sits down with the esteemed Prof. Rose Mary Allen to delve into her insightful article, "Oral Tradition as History in the Dutch Caribbean: The Case of Curaçao." In this captivating episode, Prof. Allen shares her profound understanding of how oral traditions serve as vital historical sources, preserving the rich cultural heritage and collective memory of Curaçao. Explore the dynamics of storytelling, the significance of oral histories, and their impact on the broader Caribbean historical narrative. This conversation offers a unique perspective on the interplay between oral tradition and written history, highlighting the voices and experiences often overlooked in conventional historical accounts.

In this episode, we delve into the rich world of the Early Caribbean Digital Archive (ECDA) with the insights of Professors Nicole Aljo and Elizabeth Dillon, alongside their dedicated team.

We explore the origins and objectives of the ECDA, a publicly accessible archive platform that houses a vast collection of pre-20th century Caribbean materials. Learn about their mission to decolonize and democratize knowledge by surfacing hidden narratives, such as those of enslaved individuals, embedded within historical texts.

The team also shares their experiences and methodologies in curating and digitizing these invaluable resources, offering a glimpse into some fascinating exhibits like Obeah practices and Jamaican Heirs. Discover how you can navigate the archive, contribute to ongoing projects, and even use these resources for family research and educational purposes.

Join us for a compelling discussion on the importance of preserving and accessing Caribbean history, both for understanding our past and informing our present.

Ron Gomes Casseres gave a brief history of the Jewish community of the Caribbean island of Curaçao, the longest surviving Jewish community in the Americas. In the early days there were more Jews in Curaçao than in all of the rest of the Western Hemisphere. Ron discussed the history of the Curaçao Jewish community, its heritage and traditions. He showed sites of Jewish interest, as well as the community’s famous archives dating back to the Eighteenth Century.

Ron Gomes Casseres descends from Sephardic Jews who first landed in Curaçao in 1690. He was born on the Dutch Caribbean island where he is a leader of the historic Mikvé Israel-Emanuel community. Now retired, one of his interests is the history of his Jewish community and its practices. He has been active in numerous organizations and institutions and was awarded decorations by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Government of Japan.

Learn how to trace your Afro-Caribbean ancestors from the West Indies, including Barbados, Jamaica, and other places. Presented by Sharon Wilkins, President of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society - New York.

Use the strategies and hints in this video to trace your Caribbean ancestors. Before you know it you'll be on location just like on 'Who Do You Think You Are.' West Indian family history research is challenging but NOT impossible.

Myths and Misconceptions are holding you back from tracing your Caribbean Ancestors. Challenge your assumptions and take your research forward.

In this video, I dispel four common myths about West Indian family history.

How I traced my Caribbean ancestors back to the 18th century! The process of working on my family tree has helped me grow tremendously. Now I want to help you trace your Caribbean ancestors as far back as you can!

In this video, Researching Female Ancestors of the Caribbean, Sharon Tomlin delves into ways we can research African-Caribbean female ancestry. Encouraging dialogue across the generations to understand the pioneers of the past and to discover the pioneers within their own family.

This presentation was part of RootsTech Connect 2021.

Learn tips, tricks, and more for researching ancestry in the Caribbean! Special guest, Anaisa Bayala.

Join artist and Toronto Photo Laureate Michèle Pearson Clarke for a conversation with AGO Associate Curator of Photography Julie Crooks about The Montgomery Collection of Caribbean Photographs, a singular collection of more than 3,500 historical images from 34 countries including Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad. This visual record contains studio portraits, landscapes and tourist views and brings to life the changing economies, environments and communities that emerged post-emancipation. The Collection includes nearly every photographic format available during the years 1840 to 1940, including prints, postcards, daguerreotypes, lantern slides, albums, and stereographs.