Mapping the Netherlands East Indies: A Cartographic Appraisal

The mapping of the Netherlands East Indies was, first and foremost, meant to serve as an instrument for the government to keep its inhabitants under control and tap its resources. Only after 1900, in studies to alleviate poverty, did the colonial subjects' welfare become an item. However, even granted that mapping operations in the East Indies were principally motivated by colonialism, subjugation, and exploitation, the cartographic legacy of the Netherlands to independent Indonesia remains essential: at the time, it left the young Republic a comprehensive array of excellent hydrographic charts, up-to-date topographical maps of Java and other populous areas in the Archipelago, and sound educational material. Sadly, the dramatic transfer of power and sovereignty precluded an organised transfer of cartographic knowledge. Moreover, too few Indonesians were trained to take over, except perhaps in geological and volcanological mapping.

This book describes the efforts of cartographers to map and chart the Indonesian Archipelago between 1800 and 1962. Based on a broad overview and analysis of the available source materials and underlying texts, it aims to present the first comprehensive evaluation of post-VOC Dutch mapping against the backdrop of the colonial state (1800-1942) and the subsequent period of decolonisation (1942-1949/62). Although the common idea that cartography and maps, in many ways, were used as tools of power and oppression is endorsed, the approach is primarily descriptive and only critical as far as the cartographic representation is concerned. The book is meant to be a user guide that informs and differentiates, and may be valuable for anyone interested in Dutch mapping in Indonesia, providing a versatile overview of a largely unknown range of topographical and hydrographic maps.

You can read about Professor Ormeling's contributions to the field in the 'In Memoriam' published in Caert Thresoor 44.3 (2025).