Amsterdam-Zuidoost , North Holland, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe
Asta Elstak
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2024
1. Asta Elstak Marker
Asta Elstak verhuisde op jonge leeftijd van Suriname naar Batavia, de hoofdstad van de vroegere kolonie Nederlands- Indie, en daarna naar Nederland. Ze besloot als volwassene weer in Suriname te gaan wonen. Daar werd ze actief bij de Progressieve Nationale Partij (PNP) en bij de organisatie Hulp aan Surinaamse Vrouwen. In Paramaribo richtte ze de eerste crèche op. Ze werd door de regering verdacht van spionage en vertrok naar Nederland. Ook hier was ze actief bij organisaties die mensen hielpen en zette ze de Landelijke Organisatie Surinaamse Ouderen op. In de Bijlmer ging ze dagelijks op pad met boodschappentassen vol spullen voor wie het nodig had. Hierdoor werd ze s'ma oso lanteri genoemd, de lamp in andermans huis. Voor al haar inzet ontving Elstak de Dr. Sophie Redmondspeld, werd ze koninklijk onderscheiden en gehuldigd met de Gouden Palm, een hoge Surinaamse onderscheiding.
Asta Elstak moved at a young age from Suriname to Batavia, the capital of the former colony of the Dutch East Indies, and then to the Netherlands.
this page online
Erected 2023 by Geef Straten Een Gezicht.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Women. In addition, it is included in the Give Streets a Face / Geef Straten Een Gezicht, and the Women (GSEG) series lists.
Location. 52° 19.29′ N, 4° 57.802′ E. Marker is in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland (North Holland). It is in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Marker is at the intersection
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, March 16, 2024
2. Asta Elstak Marker - wide view
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Clara Zetkin (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Joke Smit (about 120 meters away); A.A. de Lannoy-Willems (about 120 meters away); Nilda Pinto (about 120 meters away); Sophie Redmond (about 120 meters away); Emmeline Pankhurst (about 150 meters away); Catharina van Tussenbroek (about 150 meters away); Bertha von Suttner (about 180 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Amsterdam.
Also see . . . Asta Elstak: kleurrijke feministe en activiste van Surinaamse origine (Atria, in Dutch).
Excerpt (in translation): Asta Esseline Roza Elstak was born in 1917 on the cocoa plantation 'La Prevoyance' in the Saramacca district in Suriname. She was the daughter of a Surinamese missionary and teacher family. In 1928 the family left for Batavia in the Dutch East Indies in the hope of a better life. Economically, things were going very badly in Suriname. In 1936 she emigrated to the Netherlands with her parents. There she worked as a stenographer. She took the opportunity to work as a secretary in Batavia until the independence of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. She then returned to Suriname. She stayed in Suriname for 15 years and worked at various ministries. She worked tirelessly to improve the position of Creole women and became an active member of the Surinamese Progressive National Party. In the 1950s she played a central role in association life in Paramaribo. Elstak revealed herself to be a completely independent woman. She was involved in the organization 'Help to Surinamese Women'. She set up the first daycare center in Paramaribo and even invested her own savings in it.(Submitted on March 18, 2024.)
At the end of the 1960s, things were going wrong in Surinamese politics and corruption was increasing. Her broad social involvement aroused suspicion and Elstak was accused of espionage. After the murder of her sister, she left for the Netherlands in 1969. There she became involved with the Communist Party of the Netherlands (CPN) and became aware of her position as a Surinamese woman in the Netherlands. She joined the Federation of Welfare Institutions for Surinamese and was active in the anti-Apartheid and anti-racism movement. Even after her retirement, Elstak remained the driving force behind various initiatives. She founded the National Organization of Surinamese Elderly Foundation. She cris-crossed the Bijlmer with shopping bags full of things for Bijlmer residents, family and friends in Suriname. Because of this she becomes known as 's'ma oso lanteri', or the “lamp in someone else's house”.
In 1985, the Bijlmermeer Women Foundation honored her with the first Dr. Sophie Redmond Prize. In 1992 she received a royal distinction and was honored with the Golden Palm, a high Surinamese award. She kept postponing her intention to live in Suriname for the last years of her life. She died in the Netherlands on Boxing Day 1994. Since then, the Netherlands has had to do without this inspiring and driven woman.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 18, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 41 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 18, 2024, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
