Plantage Marienburg / Malen van suikerriet 1900 - 1905

Eugen Klein’s photograph, "Plantage Marienburg / Malen van suikerriet," captures a scene at the Marienburg sugar plantation in Suriname, a former Dutch colony. The image presents a stark depiction of labor and colonial hierarchy. We see workers, presumably of African or Indian descent, engaged in the arduous task of processing sugar cane, their bodies bent and strained. In contrast, European figures stand upright, seemingly overseeing the operation. This visual juxtaposition underscores the racial and economic dynamics inherent in the plantation system, where the labor of marginalized groups was exploited for the benefit of the colonizers. The photograph serves as a silent witness to the complex and often brutal history of colonialism, reminding us of the human cost of sugar production and the enduring legacies of inequality that continue to shape our world. The photograph leaves me unsettled.