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Leipoldt en Diponegoro


C De Jong

Abstract

Leipoldt and Diponegoro


In 1912 the great Afrikaner author C Louis Leipoldt (1880-1947) realized his plan to visit the Dutch East Indies and enlisted as a ship's surgeon in the English freight line steamer 'Ulysses (III)'. He travelled from Liverpool to the East and back. The result was 18 poems with impressions of his voyage, published in a collection in 1923, and a manuscript in English with the title "Visit to the East Indies", so far not published. 20 years later he abbreviated it, translated it into Afrikaans and published it with the title "Uit my Oosterse dagboek" in 1932. In this work and in some of his 18 poems he showed sympathy to the struggle of the Indonesians for their independence from Dutch dominance, inter alia to Prince Diponegoro. He was the leader of a stubborn rising, the Java War in 1825-1830. He is now one of the great heroes of Indonesian nationalism. The work "Visit to the East Indies" states that Leipoldt left the 'Ulysses' in Amsterdam and visited the Rijksmuseum there to view the painting by Nicolaas Pieneman, Dutch painter, of the surrender of Diponegoro to the Dutch. Leipoldt stresses the Prince's meekness and resignation on this painting. The Indonesian painter Raden Saleh (1814-1880) probably knew Pieneman's work. Also he painted Diponegoro's surrender, but he emphasizes the Prince's indignation and anger because of his capture by the Dutch.


In 1912 het die groot Afrikanerskrywer C Louis Leipoldt sy lank gekoesterde voorneme om Oos-Indiรซ te besoek, uitgevoer en as skeepsarts op die Engelse lynvragskip 'Ulysses (III)', uit Liverpool na Oos-Indiรซ gevaar. Die resultaat was 18 gedigte met reisindrukke en 'n reisverslag in Engels, getitel "Visit to the East Indies". Hy het die gedigte in 'n bundel in 1923 gepubliseer, maar nie die Engelse reisverslag nie. Dit het hy bekort en in Afrikaans met die titel "Uit my Oosterse dagboek" in 1932 gepubliseer. Hy toon in sy gedigte en reisverslag simpatie vir die onafhanklikheidstryd van die Indonesiรซrs teen die Nederlandse oorheersing, onder andere vir Prins Diponegoro, leier van 'n hardnekkige opstand in 1825-1830, die Java-oorlog. Volgens "Visit to the East Indies" het Leipoldt by die aankoms van sy skip in Amsterdam dit vaarwel gesรช en in die Rijksmuseum die skildery van Nicolaas Pieneman van Diponegoro se oorgawe gaan sien en sy indruk neergeskryf. Hy beklemtoon die berusting en deemoed van die Prins op die skildery. Die Indonesiese skilder Raden Saleh het waarskynlik Pieneman se kunswerk gebruik as voorbeeld vir sy skildery van Diponegoro se oorgawe, maar hy gee die verontwaardiging en toorn van Diponegoro weens sy gevangename weer.


South African Journal of Cultural History Vol.17(2) 2003: 69-77

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eISSN: 1011-3053