National Archives of Indonesia
Encyclopedia
The National Archives of Indonesia is the non-departmental government institution of Indonesia
responsible for maintaining a central archive
. It holds the largest archive collection related to the Dutch East India Company
(VOC). In 2003, Indonesia introduced a joint submission to the UNESCO
Memory of the World Register
with the Netherlands
, South Africa
, and Sri Lanka
for their archival collections related to the VOC. The National Archives collection traces its origins to the work of Jacob Anne van der Chijs, who was appointed the first archivist of the Dutch East Indies
in 1892 by the colonial government.
period (1811–1816) arising from Napoleonic Wars
, the British took over administration of the Dutch East Indies. Archive maintenance fell upon the hands of the librarian of the Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences
. On 19 February 1819, the archive was returned to the management of the General Secretariat and remained within its jurisdiction until 1892.
In 1860, Jacob Anne van der Chijs and Henry David Levyssohn Norman were commissioned to investigate the existing archives. Over the next several years, 15 chests of archive material were transported to the Nationaal Archief
in the Netherlands. Plans to send all material overseas were blocked by the Batavian Society, and a commission was charged in 1872 to determine which materials important enough to be kept would be transferred to the Society. Van der Chijs was recommissioned in 1880 to create the archive's first collection catalog
, which was eventually published in two years later. The collection contained 18,387 items, and work began to order and number them definitively.
Van der Chijs was appointed the first archivist of the Indies on 28 January 1892 through a government decree. Although van der Chijs regarded his work as provisional, his successors did not continue the work to document the VOC archives. In 1925, the collection was moved to the former country estate of Governor-General
Reynier de Klerck
, where it remained undamaged during the period of Japanese occupation
. When the Dutch transferred sovereignty of the Indies to Indonesia in 1949, the collections were handed to the current National Archives. They were finally moved to the new location of the National Archives in 1975.
in the world, with documents dating between 1612 and 1811. The collection encompasses almost half of the VOC archives worldwide with a total of 15,000 entries on 1,800 meters of shelf space. In 2003, a joint nomination to include the combined archives of the Dutch East India Company in the Memory of the World Register
with the Netherlands
, South Africa
, and Sri Lanka
was submitted to and approved by UNESCO
.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
responsible for maintaining a central archive
Archive
An archive is a collection of historical records, or the physical place they are located. Archives contain primary source documents that have accumulated over the course of an individual or organization's lifetime, and are kept to show the function of an organization...
. It holds the largest archive collection related to the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
(VOC). In 2003, Indonesia introduced a joint submission to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Memory of the World Register
Memory of the World Programme
UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme is an international initiative launched to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, the ravages of time and climatic conditions, and willful and deliberate destruction...
with the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
for their archival collections related to the VOC. The National Archives collection traces its origins to the work of Jacob Anne van der Chijs, who was appointed the first archivist of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
in 1892 by the colonial government.
History
The task of archive management in the early period of Dutch presence in Indonesia fell upon the General Secretariat of the colonial government. Archive material received little attention during this period and was often unmaintained, resulting in accumulation of material and insect damage. During the interregnumInterregnum
An interregnum is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order...
period (1811–1816) arising from Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the British took over administration of the Dutch East Indies. Archive maintenance fell upon the hands of the librarian of the Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences
Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences
The Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences was a Dutch learned society in Batavia .The society was founded in 1778 by naturalist Jacob Cornelis Matthieu Radermacher as the Bataviaasch Genootschap der Konsten en Wetenschappen , and assumed its current name in 1910...
. On 19 February 1819, the archive was returned to the management of the General Secretariat and remained within its jurisdiction until 1892.
In 1860, Jacob Anne van der Chijs and Henry David Levyssohn Norman were commissioned to investigate the existing archives. Over the next several years, 15 chests of archive material were transported to the Nationaal Archief
Nationaal Archief
The Nationaal Archief is the national archive of the Netherlands, located in The Hague. It houses collections for the central government, the province of Zuid-Holland, and the former County of Holland. There is also material from private institutions and individuals with an association to the Dutch...
in the Netherlands. Plans to send all material overseas were blocked by the Batavian Society, and a commission was charged in 1872 to determine which materials important enough to be kept would be transferred to the Society. Van der Chijs was recommissioned in 1880 to create the archive's first collection catalog
Collection catalog
In museums and archives, the collection of objects or material is normally catalogued in a collection catalog . Traditionally this was done using a card index, but nowadays it is normally implemented using a computerized database and may even be made available online.- External links :* from the...
, which was eventually published in two years later. The collection contained 18,387 items, and work began to order and number them definitively.
Van der Chijs was appointed the first archivist of the Indies on 28 January 1892 through a government decree. Although van der Chijs regarded his work as provisional, his successors did not continue the work to document the VOC archives. In 1925, the collection was moved to the former country estate of Governor-General
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies represented the Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949.The first Governors-General were appointed by the Dutch East India Company...
Reynier de Klerck
Reynier de Klerck
Reynier de Klerck was Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 9 October 1778 until 1 September 1780....
, where it remained undamaged during the period of Japanese occupation
Japanese Occupation of Indonesia
The Japanese Empire occupied Indonesia, known then as the Dutch East Indies, during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of War in 1945...
. When the Dutch transferred sovereignty of the Indies to Indonesia in 1949, the collections were handed to the current National Archives. They were finally moved to the new location of the National Archives in 1975.
Collection
Indonesia holds the largest archive collection related to the Dutch East India CompanyDutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
in the world, with documents dating between 1612 and 1811. The collection encompasses almost half of the VOC archives worldwide with a total of 15,000 entries on 1,800 meters of shelf space. In 2003, a joint nomination to include the combined archives of the Dutch East India Company in the Memory of the World Register
Memory of the World Programme
UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme is an international initiative launched to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, the ravages of time and climatic conditions, and willful and deliberate destruction...
with the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
was submitted to and approved by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.