# Stadswal van Recife

> fortification used by the Dutch West India Company

**Wikidata**: [Q10333267](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10333267)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/stadswal-van-recife

## Summary
The Stadswal van Recife (Recife City Rampart) was a historical city wall fortification located in Pernambuco, Brazil. It served as a defensive structure operated by the Dutch West India Company during the period of Dutch colonial presence in the region. The fortification has since been demolished or destroyed, and is now classified as a former entity.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type**: City walls, former entity
- **Primary Function**: Fortification used by the Dutch West India Company
- **Location**: Pernambuco, Brazil
- **Geographic Coordinates**: Latitude -8.06153, Longitude -34.8709
- **Occupant**: Dutch West India Company
- **Current Status**: Demolished or destroyed
- **Historical Sovereignty**: Portuguese Empire (until September 7, 1822), Dutch Empire, Brazil
- **Wikidata Description**: Fortification used by the Dutch West India Company
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID**: /g/120y3c03
- **Sitelink Count**: 1
- **Primary Wikipedia Language**: Portuguese
- **Locator Map Image**: Recife-Map1665.jpg
- **Described At**: https://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/Recife-City-rampart-of.8940c

## FAQs

**What was the primary purpose of the Stadswal van Recife?**
The Stadswal van Recife served as a city wall fortification designed to protect the Dutch colonial settlement. It was operated and maintained by the Dutch West India Company as part of their defensive infrastructure in Pernambuco, Brazil.

**What is the current condition of the Stadswal van Recife?**
The fortification has been completely demolished or destroyed. It no longer exists in the present day and is classified as a former entity, reflecting its status as a historical structure that has ceased to exist.

**Who was responsible for the operation of this fortification?**
The Dutch West India Company was the primary occupant and operator of the Stadswal van Recife. This organization managed the defensive structure during the period of Dutch colonial presence in the region.

**Where was the Stadswal van Recife located?**
The fortification was situated in Pernambuco, Brazil, at coordinates approximately -8.06153 latitude and -34.8709 longitude. This location placed it within the broader context of Dutch colonial holdings in South America.

**What historical jurisdictions governed the area where the Stadswal van Recife stood?**
The territory where the fortification was located was subject to multiple sovereign powers throughout its history. It was part of the Dutch Empire during the period of Dutch occupation, the Portuguese Empire until September 7, 1822, and subsequently became part of Brazil.

## Why It Matters
The Stadswal van Recife represents a significant physical manifestation of Dutch colonial ambitions in South America during the 17th century. As a fortification operated by the Dutch West India Company, it exemplifies the military and commercial strategies employed by European powers to establish and maintain control over overseas territories. The structure's existence highlights the competitive nature of colonial expansion, where control of strategic coastal locations like Pernambuco was essential for protecting trade routes and asserting territorial claims. For historians and researchers studying colonial Brazil, the Stadswal van Recife serves as tangible evidence of the Dutch presence in northeastern South America, a period that significantly influenced the cultural and economic development of the region. Its classification as a former entity with a demolished or destroyed status underscores the transient nature of colonial infrastructure and the layered history of territorial control in the Americas. The fortification's documentation in sources like the Atlas of Mutual Heritage ensures that knowledge of this structure is preserved for academic study and public understanding of colonial history.

## Notable For
- **Dutch Colonial Infrastructure**: The Stadswal van Recife stands as a documented example of defensive construction built and operated by the Dutch West India Company in South America, illustrating the extent of Dutch military engineering in colonial contexts.
- **Cross-Imperial History**: The fortification's location in a territory that was governed by the Portuguese Empire, Dutch Empire, and modern Brazil makes it a unique case study in the shifting sovereignty of colonial possessions.
- **Classification as Former Entity**: Its status as a demolished or destroyed structure places it within the specific classification of "former entity," distinguishing it from surviving historical monuments and requiring specialized cataloging in knowledge bases.
- **Geographic Precision**: The exact coordinates (-8.06153, -34.8709) associated with the fortification allow for precise mapping and spatial analysis in historical geography studies.
- **Multilingual Documentation**: The structure's documentation in Portuguese Wikipedia and English-language resources like the Atlas of Mutual Heritage demonstrates its recognition across different linguistic and academic communities.

## Body

### Historical Context and Colonial Significance
The Stadswal van Recife operated as a city wall fortification during the period when the Dutch West India Company maintained a colonial presence in Pernambuco, Brazil. The Dutch West India Company, a major trading and colonizing enterprise, utilized this structure as part of its broader network of defensive installations designed to protect its commercial interests and territorial holdings in the New World. The fortification's presence in Pernambuco reflects the strategic importance of this region to Dutch colonial ambitions, as the area was a significant producer of sugar and other valuable commodities during the 17th century. The Dutch period in northeastern Brazil, often referred to as New Holland or Dutch Brazil, represented a significant challenge to Portuguese colonial dominance in South America.

### Geographic Location and Mapping
The Stadswal van Recife was situated at precise coordinates of -8.06153 latitude and -34.8709 longitude in Pernambuco, Brazil. This location placed the fortification within the coastal zone of northeastern Brazil, a region of critical strategic importance for maritime trade and naval defense. A historical locator map image (Recife-Map1665.jpg) documents the fortification's position within the urban landscape of the period. The geographic specificity of these coordinates enables modern researchers to identify the exact footprint of the former structure within the contemporary urban environment of Recife.

### Sovereignty and Territorial Changes
The territory encompassing the Stadswal van Recife underwent multiple changes in sovereignty throughout its history. During the period of Dutch occupation, the area fell under the jurisdiction of the Dutch Empire. Prior to and following this period, the region was part of the Portuguese Empire, with Portuguese sovereignty over the territory formally ending on September 7, 1822, when Brazil declared independence. The fortification's history thus spans a complex period of European colonial rivalry, with control of Pernambuco oscillating between Portuguese and Dutch interests before ultimately becoming part of the independent nation of Brazil.

### Current Status and Classification
The Stadswal van Recife has been entirely demolished or destroyed, leading to its classification as a former entity. This classification, identified in knowledge systems by the Wikidata ID Q64139102 for the "former entity" concept, denotes subjects that no longer operate or have been terminated. As a former entity, the Stadswal van Recife exists exclusively in historical records and documentation, with no physical remnants at its original location. Its state of conservation is explicitly recorded as "demolished or destroyed," confirming the complete elimination of the structure from the built environment.

### Documentation and Knowledge Representation
The Stadswal van Recife is documented across multiple knowledge platforms and repositories. Its primary description is available through the Atlas of Mutual Heritage (https://www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en/Recife-City-rampart-of.8940c), an English-language resource dedicated to documenting shared colonial heritage. The fortification possesses a Google Knowledge Graph ID of /g/120y3c03 and is represented with a sitelink count of 1, indicating its presence in at least one major knowledge platform. The primary Wikipedia article for this entity exists in Portuguese, reflecting the linguistic context of its geographic location in Brazil. An image of the area, titled "Cidade_mauricia.jpg," is available through Wikimedia Commons and provides visual context for the historical landscape in which the Stadswal van Recife was situated.

### Operational Characteristics
As a city wall fortification, the Stadswal van Recife would have functioned as a defensive perimeter designed to protect the urban settlement of Recife from military threats. The Dutch West India Company, as the recorded occupant of the structure, would have been responsible for its construction, maintenance, and manning. This arrangement was typical of the company's approach to colonial defense, where commercial enterprises assumed military responsibilities in exchange for monopoly trading rights and territorial control. The classification of the structure as "city walls" indicates that it served as a comprehensive defensive barrier rather than an isolated fortification, suggesting its integration into a broader urban defense system.

## References

1. Atlas of Mutual Heritage