News

Researchers visit Indonesia for book launches

Van 18 tot 30 september 2023 heeft een team van Indonesische en Nederlandse auteurs de Indonesische uitgaves van Over de Grens (Melewati Batas) en Revolutionary Worlds (Dunia Revolusi) gepresenteerd op verschillende universiteiten in Indonesië. De tournee was georganiseerd door uitgeverij Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia.

Save the date: book presentations on October 3

On Tuesday, October 3, 2023, two new publications from the research program Independence, decolonization, violence and war in Indonesia, 1945-1950 will be presented at the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam.

Book Presentation and Symposium 2 February 2023: Bridging the Narratives. Indonesian and Dutch Historians Re-examine the Indonesian Independence War

On February 2, 2023, two new books on the Indonesian Independence War were presented at Museum Volkenk

Presentation date of the research programme results

The results of the research programme Independence, Decolonization, Violence and War in Indonesia, 1945-1950 will be presented on Thursday, February 17, 2022 during a meeting at the KNAW i

Multiperspectivity and Multivocality

Multiperspectivity and Multivocality

Some basic principles of the research programme

Rose-tinted spectacles are essential

The letters sent by the Rempt-Schepers couple from the Dutch East Indies/Indonesia to the Netherlands between 1937 and 1946 were recently donated to the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (NIOD). For this blog, the couple’s daughters selected a few of the letters from the period September 1945 to February 1946 and wrote an introduction.

Truth, integrity and transparency: the upside-down world of Bauke Geersing

Interview Roel Frakking on the micro-dynamics of violence during decolonization-conflicts

For the NIOD REWIND podcast, researcher Anne van Mourik recently interviewed Roel Frakking on the term 'extreme violence' and the importance of local dynamics in researching decolonization conflicts.

Research to be completed later due to COVID-19

The results of the research programme Independence, decolonization, violence and war in Indonesia 1945-1950 will be presented several months later than originally intended, namely at the end of November 2021, rather than early September 2021. This delay is a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant that archives in the Netherlands and Indonesia were closed and it was no longer possible to travel to and within other countries. 

Publication BMGN-LCHR

The latest BMGN-Low Countries Historical Review is published today. The first results of the project Comparing the Wars of Decolonization are presented in this academic journal (Dutch only).

Gotong Royong (mutual cooperation) – project Regional Studies during the Corona-crisis

Of course the Corona-crisis did also throw a spanner in the Dutch-Indonesian project Regional Studies. In this blog the Indonesian research coordinators Yulianti and Abdul Wahid reflect on the impact of the Corona-crisis on their work. Next, their Dutch counterparts Ireen Hoogenboom and Martijn Eickhoff share some of their experiences.

Doing research in historic times

How is the corona crisis affecting the researchers, now the archives are closed, and the planned conferences and seminars in the Netherlands and abroad have been cancelled for the time being? In the blog below, Azarja Harmanny describes the impact of these historic times on his own research.

An exercise in Zen

How is the coronavirus crisis affecting researchers now that the archives have closed and conferences and seminars in the Netherlands and abroad have been cancelled for the time being? In the following blog, research assistant Maarten van der Bent describes the impact of these historical times on his research.

Royal apologies in Indonesia

The research programme Independence, Decolonization, Violence and War in Indonesia 1945-1950 has taken cognisance of the statements of the King. We consider this to be a political matter: it is up to the government to take political and moral standpoints on the basis of the knowledge available. The progress and direction of the current research programme – the results of which will be presented in September 2021 – will therefore not be affected by these statements.

Response news article NOS

On 1 March, an article was published (in Dutch) on the news site of the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation (NOS) entitled ‘No royal apologies during state visit to Indonesia, but why not?’ [‘Geen koninklijke excuses bij bezoek aan Indonesië, maar waarom niet?’]. It states the following:

Open letter Bauke Geersing

Early this year Bauke Geersing, author of Kapitein Raymond Westerling en de Zuid-Celebes-affaire (1946-1947) which was published in November 2019, addressed an Open Letter to NIOD-director Frank van Vree. In this letter he criticizes the intent of the programme website and accuses the research of being biased. Geersing’ s Open Letter and Van Vree' s response on behalf of the program management, can be read below.

Open letter Maluku4Maluku

On behalf of the Maluku4Maluku foundation, establised in 2018 to defend the interests of Moluccan soldiers and veterans, chairman Leo Reawaruw recently wrote an Open Letter to the research programme. In this letter he objects to the fact that Maluku4Maluku is not represented in the Social Resonance Group of the research programme. Reawaruw's Open Letter and the answer on behalf of the program management can be read below.

The world behind a word in an old diary

This autumn, Anne-Marie Visser decided to share her photo album and a few memories of her mother with Getuigen & Tijdgenoten (Witnesses & Contemporaries). In this blog post, she describes what it is like to receive certain information and not know some of the answers.

Report on the public meeting, November 2

Last Saturday, November 2, the third public meeting of the research program took place in collaboration with the National Archives in The Hague: Research in progress. Behind the scenes of the research programme  Independence, Decolonization, Violence and War in Indonesia, 1945-1950. Freelance journalist Tessa Hofland wrote a report on the public seminar.

A review of my experiences during the Bersiap period

Anne Janse-Veen described her experiences as a 14-year-old girl in the Bersiap period for Getuigen & Tijdgenoten (Witnesses & Contemporaries). You can read more about them in the blog post below.

Introduction to the public meeting Research in progress

Last Saturday, November 2, the third public meeting of the research program took place in collaboration with the National Archives in The Hague. NIOD director Frank van Vree (in the morning) and program leader Mariëtte Wolf (in the afternoon) gave an introduction. The text can be read below.

Research in progress. Public seminar, Saturday November 2, 2019

Public seminar:
Research in progress. Behind the scenes of the research programme  Independence, Decolonization, Violence and War in Indonesia, 1945-1950

Stories and sensations from around Bojonegoro and Mojokerto

Response Open letter Federatie Indische Nederlanders

On July 14, 2019, the Federatie Indische Nederlanders (FIN, a federation for Dutch people with roots in the former Dutch East Indies) published an Open Letter with objections against the research programme.

A romantic trip with the Kota Inten

There she was, a 21-year-old nurse in her neat uniform, on board that huge ship. Together with the other Red Cross volunteers, Constance Iemhoff had to salute the young officers standing opposite her. “We had been given special lessons on how to do that, which had made us girls laugh.” After the salute, the men opposite the nurses stepped forward and stated their names. One of them was Second Lieutenant Arend Groen, a member of the Navy’s military police force responsible for good behaviour on board...

Conference 'Comparing the wars of decolonization'

On June 20, 2019, in Amsterdam Public Library the conference Comparing the wars of decolonization: Extreme violence during reoccupation and counter-insurgency, 1945-1975 took place.

The lasting value of memories

The project Witnesses & contemporaries has been running for two years now. This prompted Eveline Buchheim, one of the coordinators of this project, to write a personal reflection on the value of memories.

Language as a window on war

Language as a window on war

Stef Scagliola is one of the participants in the NIAS theme group ‘Comparing the Wars of Decolonization’, which presented its preliminary results at a conference in the Amsterdam public library on 20 June. During the academic workshop held the following day, those results were discussed among experts from around the world. In the following blog, Stef Scagliola looks back on both days.

Conference 'Comparing the wars of decolonization', June 20, 2019

Conference 'Comparing the wars of decolonization: Extreme violence during reoccupation and counter-insurgency,
1945-1975'
 Thursday 20 June 2019 Amsterdam Public Library (OBA)

‘As if someone is knocking on that door...’

‘As if someone is knocking on that door...’
Between October 1945 and October 1946, the Sumobito sugar factory, close to the town of Sumobito between Jombang and Mojokerto in East Java, served as a refugee camp.

Kicking off the comparison at NIAS

Soldiers between faith and violence

Koos-Jan de Jager has been a doctoral candidate at the Free University of Amsterdam, where he examines the role of religion in the Indonesian war, since September 2018. His work centres on the question what impact the war had on the religious beliefs of members of the Netherlands armed forces and their actions in the war. He wrote the following blog for Witnesses & Contemporaries

Mature colonial memories

Memories exist in all shapes and sizes. This is also true of memories concerning the former Dutch East Indies, today’s Indonesia. They are not only painted in light, sunny tints. Elsbeth Locher-Scholten, a former senior lecturer at Utrecht University who specialises in the history of colonialism and decolonisation, wrote a column for Getuigen & Tijdgenoten (Witnesses & Contemporaries) about colonial violence and colonial memories, partly because of current discussion concerning Kester Freriks’ book Tempo Doeloe, een omhelzing.

How to acknowledge colonial injustice? An interview with Nicole Immler

How can or should colonial injustice be acknowledged? Anne van Mourik interviewed historian Nicole Immler, who wrote an article on the subject in BMGN. In 2011, the court in The Hague declared the Dutch state responsible for the mass executions that took place in 1947 in Rawagede (the present-day Balongsari) on West Java. The executions were carried out by Dutch soldiers during the Indonesian War of Independence (1945-1949), and the court’s ruling was followed by apologies and compensation. Nicole Immler travelled to Indonesia to investigate the effects of the lawsuits in Balongsari. What are the possibilities and limits of official apologies and financial compensation as instruments of recognition?

Witnesses & Contemporaries network meeting: the power of the personal story

On 24 January 2019, a network meeting of the Witnesses & Contemporaries project was held in cooperation with Historisch Centrum Overijssel / IJsselacademie. The event was organised to present a website that contains interviews with fifteen veterans from of Overijssel, who fought in the decolonization war. The interviews were conducted by historian Ewout van der Horst. Stephanie Welvaart reports on the afternoon.

Conversation with subscribers open letter

On Thursday, January 31, a meeting took place between researchers and programme leaders of Independence, decolonization, violence and war in Indonesia, 1945-1950, and a delegation of the subscribers to an open letter. In this letter, drafted by Jeffry Pondaag and Francisca Pattipilohy, and addressed to the Dutch government in November 2017, objections against the research programme are put forward. The authors challenge the independence of the research, and accuse the three institutes of a one-sided approach. During the two and a half hour meeting at the NIOD, the most important objections against the set-up of the research programme were discussed.

De registratie van de bijeenkomst is hier te bekijken.

Colonial-era recollections in a different light

What is the relationship between history and memory? A blog by Eveline Buchheim and Stephanie Welvaart.

Programme name amendment

Indië Tabee? A discussion meeting

On Sunday, 25 November, the Indisch Herinneringscentrum held a meeting entitled ‘Indië Tabee?’. This gathering concluded the Gepeperd Verleden series of meetings looking at what a shared colonial heritage means from various perspectives. Researcher Remco Raben, who is involved with the Political Administrative Context project, and Stephanie Welvaart from Witnesses & Contemporaries took part in the meeting and wrote a blog about it.

Getting to know ... Emma Keizer

Emma Keizer has been part of the research team since February 2018. In October, she started working on the project International Political Context, led by Jeroen Kemperman and Tom van den Berge. Previously, she assisted Hans Meijer with his research into East Java (Regional Studies). Emma obtained her master’s degree in International Relations in Historical Perspective last June, and is the youngest researcher on the team. Nevertheless, she already gained a great deal of research experience relating to the Indonesian decolonization war and has a substantial publication to her name. Let’s get to know her:

The meaning of history is to be found in exchanges

Maarten Hidskes travelled some 10,000 kilometres across Indonesia to talk about the theme of his book entitled Thuis gelooft niemand mij (Nobody At Home Would Believe Me), which has now also been translated into Bahasa Indonesia. He visited 11 universities, had conversations with eye witnesses and veterans, and spoke with 1200 history and political science students and dozens of lecturers. While right in the middle of his travels, he heard an Indonesian lecturer expressing what his journey was about: “Your project is about sharing and caring.”

Report 'Decolonization or Recolonization?'

On 13 September 2018, the second meeting relating to the Decolonization, Violence and War in Indonesia, 1945-1950 research project was held at Pakhuis de Zwijger (Amsterdam). The livestream of the evening can be viewed here.

Indonesian eyewitness testimony via Skype

In early July, a series of unusual court hearings were held. These involved women and men from South Sulawesi being interviewed about the murder of Indonesian men by Dutch soldiers in 1947. Researcher Esther Captain was present at one of these hearings.

Henk Schulte Nordholt: 'War crime study: Cover-up or opening up the past?'

A memorable bus trip

Part of the second workshop in Yogyakarta was an excursion to several museums and places on the Indonesian struggle against Dutch colonial rule. Read the report that researcher Roel Frakking wrote about this extraordinarily educational tour.

Cooperation with Indonesian researchers

Report of the second workshop at Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta

‘Comparing the wars of decolonization’

Meeting PPI-Belanda, a report

Pak Edi still has his fighting spirit

By Fridus Steijlen
Fridus Steijlen of the Witnesses & Contemporaries project recently visited the Moluccas. He also used this opportunity to record the story of an Indonesian witness. In his blog, Fridus recounts this meeting and tells the story of how Pak Edi had them strike a defiant pose.

Interview Bambang Purwanto in Jakarta Post

In The Jakarta Post, the Indonesian historian Bambang Purwanto emphasizes the interest of the research programma for both Dutch and Indonesian historiography. Bambang coördinates the Indon

Revolution or Decolonization? A workshop at Universitas Gadjah Mada’s (UGM)

Interview Ireen Hoogenboom: ‘the research is not meant to change Indonesian history'

Detiknews interviewed researcher Ireen Hoogenboom on the research into decolonization, violence and war in Indonesia 1945-1950 conducted by KITLV, NIOD and NIMH.

Onno Sinke: When looking at the decolonization war, look with empathy at both sides

Thursday the 14th of September was the official start of the research project on the Dutch military violence in Indonesia from 1945-1950.

Rewatching the kick-off of the research programme

In case you missed the public kick-off of the research programme on September 14, you can watch the livestream here. During the crowded event at Amsterdam's Pakhuis De Zwijger, NIOD-director Frank van Vree explained the outline of the programme and the nine research projects it includes. Subsequently both supporters and opponents discussed the pros and cons of the research programme and, of course the attendees had the opportunity to ask questions. 

Azarja Harmanny Exploratory research into the use of technical violence

For the past two months, Azarja Harmanny - one of the researchers within this programme - resided in Indonesia for a language course and exploratory research.

Research about decolonisation war in documentary by Dutch television (NOS)

In a special broadcast by the Dutch broadcasting service NOS, the research programme Decolonisation, violence and war in Indonesia, 1945-1950 is explained and discussed.

Kick-off Getuigen/Tijdgenoten-project op de Tong Tong Fair

Fridus Steijlen and Eveline Buchheim are looking for ego-documents such as letters, photo albums, and diaries for their Getuigen/Tijdgenoten project.

Dutch cabinet supports research into the post-war decolonization period in the former Dutch Indies

The Dutch cabinet supports independent follow-up research into the post-war decolonization period in the former Dutch Indies and the context in which violent conflicts at that time took place.

Lecture Peter Romijn at presentation De Brandende Kampongs online

Speech Peter Romijn during book presentation 'De brandende kampongs van Generaal Spoor' by Rémy Limpach is published online.

Round table discussions about the results of the research programme

On Monday 23 May, 2022 and Monday 30 May, 2022, the Permanent Committee of Foreign Affairs of the Dutch House of Representatives have hosted round table discussions about the results of the researc

Book presentations op 3 October: 'Violence and accountability'

As part of research programme ‘Independence, decolonization, violence and war in Indonesia, 1945-1950, three books will be presented on Tuesday 3 October 2023 at the Trippenhuis in Amsterdam. The event will largely be in Dutch.

Online presentation of research results on 17 February

On 17 February 2022, the results of the research programme Independence, Decolonization, Violence and War in Indonesia, 1945-1950 will be presented.

How Google Translate can give a new generation of Indonesian historians access to stories from ‘the other side’

Imagine what Indonesian historical research could look like if there were no language barriers, no travel costs and no visa issues, and instead just a strong Wi-Fi signal, dedicated Dutch-Indonesia

Seminar and Book Launch 'Empire’s Violent End'

On Friday 24 June 2022, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) will host a seminar and book launch of Empire’s Violent End: Comparing Dutch, British and French Wars of Decolonizati

Programme online presentation research results on 17 February

On 17 February 2022, the results of the research programme Independence, Decolonization, Violence and War in Indonesia, 1945-1950 will be presented.

Tweede Kamer discuss results research program

The results of the research programme Independence, decolonisation, violence and war in Indonesia, 1945-1950 will be debated in the Tweede Kamer (Lower House) on Wednesday 14 June from 10.15 am. You can attend the debate in The Hague. The debate will also be available via livestream.

Announcement of book titles

Amsterdam University Press will start publishing twelve books containing the results of the research programme ‘Independence, Decolonization, Violence, and War in Indonesia, 1945-1950’ in February