Johannes Kielstra

Johannes Coenraad Kielstra (13 November 1878 – 1 April 1951) was a Dutch professor and Governor of Suriname from 1933 until 1944. During World War II, he increased his authority and imprisoned political opponents causing the resignation of all elected members of the Estates of Suriname. On 28 December 1943,

Biography Kielstra was born on 13 November 1878 in Zwartsluis, son of a Mennonite minister.

In 1918, Kielstra was appointed professor of colonial political science and economics at Wageningen University, and would remain professor until 1936. In 1925, he travelled to the Dutch West Indies and visited Suriname which would become the main focus of his writings.

On 16 August 1933, Kielstra was appointed Governor-General of Suriname. He attempted to create autonomous village communities, and rejected assimilation of the different ethnic groups. The marriage law was put in effect by decree in 1940.

Back in 1938, Kielstra had involuntarily committed Louis Doedel, a trade unionist, in a psychiatric hospital. He would use his increased authority against political opponents. Eddy Bruma and Otto Huiswoud were arrested and imprisoned without trial.

On 23 July 1943, Wim Bos Verschuur, a member of the Estates, petitioned Queen Wilhelmina to remove Kielstra from office. On 30 July 1943, he was arrested and interned without trial. Subsequently, all elected members of the Estates handed in their resignation. On 28 December 1943, he was given an honourable discharge by the Dutch government-in-exile.

In 1944, Kielstra was appointed Ambassador of the Netherlands to Mexico with an accreditation for Guatemala, and served until his retirement in 1948. He moved to Monaco, and died on 1 April 1951 at the age of 72.