On August 15, 2026, communities across the Netherlands gathered once again to mark the anniversary of Japan’s surrender and the end of the war in the Dutch East Indies. The Indo Project was honored to represent Indos around the world at ceremonies in Amsterdam and The Hague — including a private ceremony inside the Dutch…
On August 15, 2025, the world marked 80 years since Japan’s surrender in the Pacific, bringing an official end to World War II. Across the Netherlands, remembrance ceremonies were held to honor the victims of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. This year saw a record 65 Indië commemorations nationwide, thirteen more than…
The Indo Project invites you to our annual Commemoration and Liberation Ball on Saturday, August 9, 2025, from 2:00–6:00 PM at the Buena Park Elks Lodge in Buena Park, California. This meaningful event honors the resilience and legacy of the Indo community with an afternoon of remembrance and celebration, featuring live music, delicious food, and…
by Karel Wagemans – first published in Dutch on January 20, 2025 Introduction: Remembering the Origins of Herdenking As the Indo community and others with family history in the Dutch East Indies commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific, it is worth remembering how the tradition of Herdenking—the…
by Arthur Fickel, president of the IGV About The Indische Genealogical Society (IGV) was established in 1988 by individuals seeking information about their ancestors who once lived in the Dutch East Indies. They found the existing resources to be grossly inadequate and faced challenges in accessing genealogical sources from both the former Dutch East Indies…
By Willem-Jan Brederode Do you know what ‘Indo’ really means? Do you comprehend what you actually are from an ethno-historical perspective? I am going to be bold and state that most of us do not know our entire story, and therefore may feel incomplete in terms of our cultural identity. And that is absolutely understandable;…
During this season of Thanksgiving, The Indo Project Team extends its gratitude to you and each other. Please join us in sharing your words of thanks. I am deeply grateful for our amazing TIP team, our dedicated supporters, and everyone who has shared their stories with TIP. Your contributions have taught me so much about our shared…
by Roderick C. Wahr It happened on January 5th, 1942, at 7:30 a.m. in Sumbawa Besar village on the island of Sumbawa. My mother lay in the bedroom, sweating and moaning, while my father stood outside the bedroom, nervously dragging on a cigarette. I was in the process of being born. The palace of Sultan…
By Edward E. E. Frietman This is the final installment of a special three-part series (see part 1 and part 2) featuring the firsthand experiences of Edward E. E. Frietman. In this chapter, he continues the story of how his family endured and survived the turbulent Bersiap period following the end of World War II.…
by Roderick C. Wahr This article was originally published in Dutch; due to heavy interest in its topic, the author has provided an English translation. Before I get into my opinion and thoughts on the Njai, I’d like to share a little bit about myself and my own origins, as that context is important. I…