9789067181990 / 9067181994

Between 1997 and 2001 an extensive series of Dutch-language interviews was recorded with the aim of documenting 'the end of the Netherlands colonial presence in Asia'. These interviews concentrated on experiences in what is called 'The East' from the 1930s till the early 1960s. They present a broad spectrum of material, depicting fear, anger and courage in a turbulent historical period. But they also provide a vivid window on ordinary day-to-day life, at home and at work, in these days.
The Stichting Mondelinge Geschiedenis Indonesie (SMGI, Foundation for the Oral History of Indonesia) was established especially for this project. It organized and conducted interviews with 724 individuals, among them 'full-blooded' Dutch, Indo-Europeans, Chinese, Moluccans, Menadonese, and Javanese. Since May 2001, a sound archive comprising 2,800 hours of recording has been available for consultation at the KITLV or Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology, in Leiden. The abstracts presented in this volume are an introduction to this very rich source of information.