author
E. F. E. Douwes Dekker
1879–1950
A fierce early voice for Indonesian independence, he was a journalist, teacher, and political activist who challenged Dutch colonial rule long before independence became reality. Writing under his own name and later as Danudirja Setiabudi, he helped shape the language and spirit of modern nationalism in Indonesia.
1 Audiobook
Het boek van Siman den Javaan Een roman van rijst, dividend en menschelijkheid
by E. F. E. Douwes Dekker
About the author
Born in Pasuruan, Java, on 8 October 1879, Ernest François Eugène Douwes Dekker came from an Indo-European background and grew up in the Dutch East Indies. In his early years he worked in journalism and publishing, and he also spent time in South Africa during the Second Boer War, an experience often linked to the development of his anti-colonial views.
He became one of the best-known early advocates of self-rule in the Indies. In 1912 he helped found the Indische Partij with Tjipto Mangoenkoesoemo and Soewardi Soerjaningrat, one of the first political organizations to argue openly for a more independent future for the archipelago. His political work brought him into conflict with the colonial authorities, and he was exiled for a time.
Later in life he remained active as a writer, publicist, and teacher. After Indonesian independence he became known as Danudirja Setiabudi, and today he is remembered as an important pioneer of Indonesian nationalism whose life connected journalism, politics, and education.