author
J. Wolbers
1819–1889
A Dutch historian and writer with a strong social conscience, he is best remembered for books on Suriname and for speaking out against slavery in the Dutch colonies. His work blends research, moral urgency, and a clear wish to inform a wider public.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in Heemstede on July 26, 1819, Julien Wolbers became a Dutch historian, man of letters, and abolitionist. Although he came from a family connected with the painting trade, he developed into a writer and public figure, helped along by his own study and by encouragement from the minister and author Nicolaas Beets.
Wolbers is especially known for De slavernij in Suriname (1853), a forceful attack on slavery in the Dutch West Indies, and for later writing a history of Suriname. His books brought together historical interest and a strong moral argument, making him an important voice in 19th-century Dutch debates about slavery and colonial society.
He was also active in local and provincial public life, including service in Utrecht, where he died on September 22, 1889. Today he is remembered both as a historian and as a writer who used his work to challenge injustice.