Louis Couperus was one of the few Dutch writers to become fairly widely known outside Holland. His great novel ‘The Hidden Force’, (‘De Stille Kracht’), which is set in the Dutch East Indies, has been translated into English and is available from Pushkin Press.
The description on the inside jacket reads:
“A mystical Javanese prince and a promiscuous wife are the twin challenges to Dutch Commissioner Van Oudijck’s seemingly impregnable authority. As he struggles to maintain control of his district and his family, ancient local traditions reassert their influence, and colonial power begins to disintegrate.”
The picture on the right wordlessly captures something of the strange and alien relations between East and West: the Soesoehoenan of Soerakarta Pakoe Boewono X stands arm in arm with Commissioner De Vogel, who is lording it over his people and land. Couperus in his novel has one of his characters say that the Soesoehoenan is like a living ‘Wajang-doll’
(This article was first published November 20th, 2012).
This is the first of a series of new movies and tv-series we will be introducing. The films and documentaries are now available to the English speakers with added English subtitles provided by TIP friend Ben von Stockhausen. The theme is around people with roots in or a connection with the former Dutch East Indies.
Watch the original TV- series on YouTube
De Stille Kracht, Dutch for Hidden Force the TV-series now available in YouTube with English subtitles. With compliments by Ben von Stockhausen.
The Hidden Force (de Stille Kracht) is a 1900 novel by the Dutch writer Louis Couperus. The narrative is set on the island of Java in the Dutch East Indies. The book was adapted into a 1974 Dutch TV serial. In 2010, a feature-film adaptation was announced as under development with Paul Verhoeven as director.
Instructions:
- For people on PC: Place your cursor in the image and click on CC on the bottom.
- For mobile phone users: Click on the 3 dots on top right. Select CC and Dutch/Netherlands.
Part 1: 1974 AVRO TV play of the novel by Louis Couperus (1900) of the Dutch colonial society in the former Dutch East Indies featuring Bob de Lange and Pleuni Touw, now in her 80ties. Also playing in a roll the famous Javanese story teller and dancer Indra Kamadjojo.
Part 2
Part 3
Just wanted everyone who is interested to know that this publication is available from Amazon.com. It is a wonderful read and gives you insight into colonial times.
Just want to do some name dropping here. I am related to this famous author on my father’s side. His full name is Louis Marie Ann Couperus (1863-1923.). He was of my great-grandparents’ generation. We are 2nd cousins 3 times removed (thanks Ancestry, for clarifying that!)
There’s nothing wrong with name dropping, Hanneke. What a great link to your past. How did you find out…through Ancestry? Or did Ancestry confirm it via their genealogy research? Love to know more.
I saw this televisionversion of the book “Stille Kracht”
It shows the colonial attitude of Couperus. Dutch characters were noble and Javanese people and indo-european were no-good.
It is said the character Addy de Luce, indo, was inspirated by the family Dezentjé, they were in the sugarproduction and the ownership was collective.
The big boss of the familyconcern about 1900-1905 was Henri August Dezentjé.
He was no playboy, fooling around and doing nothing.
Uncle Tinus of him died in the house of Willem de Vogel in 1903, who was indo-european by his grandmother the Javanese Pieloor.
Willem de Vogel was the resident near Paku Buono X See above
See this pucture: https://indisch4ever.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/javprins2.jpg
Tinus is at the right. Paku Buono X was not yet susuhunan of Soerakarta and is standing by a daughter of Tinus
This picture was at the veranda of Tinus Dezentjé and this family had for many years a good relationship with the susuhunan and his family
Thank you so much, Boeroeng, for adding to this story some interesting facts. We appreciate your taking the time to write. Thank you again.
My wife and sons are descendants of the union between Gottfried Wilhelm Sandie and his Javanese wife called Boeloor or Poeloor. If you have any information on Pieloor I would be fascinated to hear as I believe they are the same person and we know very little of her history. My records indicate she was baptised in 1825 and given the name Christina Sandie. Her daughter married Hendrik Elias De Vogel. Her grandson is Willem De Vogel in the picture.