In the aftermath of Hurricane
Melissa, numerous Caribbean communities are suffering. Jamaica has seen
numerous communities leveled, and irreparable damage has occurred throughout
the Island. This tragedy has, first and foremost, destroyed the lives of so
many good and hard-working people. Our first concern should be with the people
who have perished in this disaster and their loved ones picking up the pieces.
Numerous people are still missing, and entire families have been left homeless
in droves.
Farms and businesses have been
destroyed, and it will take significant time and effort to revive these
critical assets on the Island. As I look for ways to help restore the
infrastructure and aid the people most hurt, as I feel should be our priority
in this time, I would like for us to ponder the cultural loss Jamaica has
suffered from this travesty. Numerous historic structures have been severely
damaged, and many more are beyond repair. The topic of Seaford Town, aka German
Town, Jamaica, is a recurring theme in my work and in my life.
Fifteen years ago, I began
documenting the village of Seaford Town, Jamaica, known to many as German Town.
I heard stories and read short articles over the years about this tiny village
that held so much German cultural heritage within its people, structures, and
history. I made a long trek to the village in the summer of 2010. I woke at the
crack of dawn and drove from Kingston to Seaford town, Westmoreland, armed with
a camera, a microphone, and a stack of mini-DV tapes. I began introducing
myself to the people in the village, asking every question I could and learning
as much as I could about this unique village.
I found many people held an obtuse
mindset toward this village and a blatant disregard for its unique qualities.
Though many people to this day I encounter insist there is nothing inherently
unique or noteworthy about the village and its German heritage, I couldn't help
but see all the fantastic attributes and cultural remnants that shone within
the town. One of the most amazing things about Seaford Town, Jamaica, was the
German cottages and German-style structures. Many of these German-style homes
dated back to the 19th century and had connections to the original German
settlers who arrived in the 1830s.
I recorded many of these homes and
incorporated this footage into my documentaries on Seaford Town, and I knew it
would be precious at some point. It was already precious to me because I did
not feel these structures would stand forever. I was not sure how much longer
German cultural remnants would survive in Seaford Town, but I felt strongly
compelled to document them in this village. I knew this heritage would not
exist forever. I knew the footage I captured would become precious at some
point.
I felt it was precious as I held
each tape in my hands each night, seeing the faces of the people I interviewed
as they described their family homes with passion and pride. Telling the
stories of their loved ones and the physical remnants left behind by their
ancestors. I did not know how much longer these remnants would last, but I felt
that at some point within my lifetime or after I was gone and buried, these
stories and records would mean something to the world. Fast forward fifteen
years, and here we are in 2025.
Hurricane Melissa has hit, and from
all reports I have received on the ground, there are no more German gingerbread
cottages within the village. These amazing cultural anomalies in Jamaica have
been decimated. Some of these homes, standing for close to 150 years, are gone,
collapsed into ruin. I have not been able to put eyes on the ground myself as I
am working on a medical mission in the Middle East and have no means to travel
back to Jamaica at this point.
Still, all reports say nearly the
entire village has been leveled and almost nothing stands. Infrastructure has
been rendered useless, and numerous roads have been blocked. People have no
power, and most businesses have been destroyed. This village is primarily a
farming community, and most of the crops and livestock have been lost,
according to what I have been told.
There are reports of fatalities and
missing persons. Photos and footage I am seeing released show the level of
utter, nearly complete devastation to this community. The one structure of
German design that still stands Is the church and the cemetery attached? Though
significantly damaged, the stone catholic church of Seaford town still stands.
I do not know what the future holds
for Seaford Town, or whether there is any hope of restoring the German-built
structures. Frankly, I don't know whether the original designs should be
restored, as Jamaica desperately needs to update its infrastructure for future
generations. As the rebuild begins, some measures are taken to honor the past
German cultural remnants, but the buildings that can survive a crisis like this
are the focus at this point. I am aware.
The heritage and cultural roots of
Seaford Town do not reside solely in buildings and artifacts; they live in
people —through their minds and hearts, and in their blood. The word nation
does not mean a border on a map or a chunk of land; it means from its Latin
derivation natal. Natal means a people. The word race has been a politically
hot topic since I was a child.
Many people assert that race is a
"social construct," but the word race derives from its Latin roots. We
all have nations at both the macro and micro levels. We all have roots, both on
a macro level and a micro level, and I encourage the people of Seaford Town to
embrace and preserve their roots. I encourage all Jamaicans to do the same.
I hope Jamaica's history can be
preserved and protected, carried forward, but this depends greatly on the will
of its people. What are the things they respect, value, and cherish? I am
currently looking to former Seaford Town residents on the ground and their
families abroad who are working to rebuild, and I am listing their fundraising
programs on my social media. I encourage everyone who can lend a hand to do so
in any way they can for the Jamaican people.
Numerous other villages and regions
are suffering, and all efforts should be made to help all communities within
Jamaica. But Seaford Town is a microcosm I have focused on over the years, and
I am one man who will do what I can. I do not wish to make this article
political or finger-pointing, so rather than blame political parties,
individuals, or wealthy institutions. I feel so much more should have been done
to preserve and protect Jamaica's historic monuments, but here we are, and many
are gone, and we may never see them again.
I encourage the Jamaican people to
rebuild and invest in your future, but while investing in your future, invest
in your past. As it was said by Marcus Garvey, "A people without knowledge
of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots." If
that applies to African heritage, it should apply to European heritage.
If you would like to help Seaford
Town, visit this Go Fund Me link: https://gofund.me/2fc4be32a
Written by David Ritter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GermanTownJamaica/
ritter.david.david@gmail.com
www.GermanTownJamaica.com
