2009 was a fruitful year for the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies at Leiden (KITLV), but it was also a year in which a number of changes were made to the institute's organisation. The goal was not to change the institute's mission or structure but to improve procedures. The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences justly expects its institutes to be excellent or at least extremely good. These expectations are also applicable to the internal organisation.

            Every year many unique objects are added to the special collections; some of these items are exceptionally valuable from an (art-)historical point of view. This was also the case during the year in review. The Baud family lent the institute a portrait of co-founder Jean Chrétien Baud's family which was painted around 1830 by the renowned Javanese painter Raden Saleh. Noted photographer Kalman Muller donated approximately two thousand slides, shot in post-war Indonesia, from his personal collection.

            The policy implemented a number of years ago which deals with the title description and the allocation of key words by KITLV-Jakarta to titles acquired in Indonesia was realised during the year under review. This step, which was only possible thanks to intensified collaboration between the Collections department and KITLV-Jakarta, will save both time and money. The first-rate collaboration between the Collections department and KITLV Uitgeverij | Press led to the publication and festive presentation of two special publications featuring unique items from the special collections. The two books are Liesbeth Ouwehand's Herinneringen in beeld; Fotoalbums uit Nederlands-Indië and Jan van Rosmalen’s Treasures; Uit de collecties van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde te Leiden. Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, our patroness, wrote a foreword to Treasures.

The Research department has carried out a number of research programmes over the past years. Many of these projects are funded externally. Our largest programme, ‘Tracking development’, received a positive midterm evaluation. Research carried out by three Academy institutes, the International Institute for Social History (IISG), the Meertens Institute and KITLV, into postcolonial migration, integration and the politics of identity was concluded with the presentation of KITLV Director Gert Oostindie's book Postkoloniaal Nederland; Vijfenzestig jaar vergeten, herdenken, verdringen. Oostindie was also research director of this project.

A number of new research grants were obtained. The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), for example, accepted a proposal from our Head of Research Henk Schulte Nordholt for a project entitled ‘Articulating Modernity; The Making of Popular Music in 20th Century Southeast Asia and the Rise of New Audiences’, which will run from 2010 up until 2014. KITLV is the initiator and functions as secretariat of a syndicate of institutions taking part in this programme which investigates the origins of new types of popular music and its effect on the rise of new social groups in Southeast Asia. Oostindie has accepted an assignment from the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) in which he has been asked to perform research into the process involved with the administrative dismantling of the Antilles. He will collaborate with Inge Klinkers on this project. This is not the first time Oostindie has worked with Klinkers as they also collaborated on the three-volume study Knellende koninkrijksbanden, also a governmental assignment. During the past year, Frank Okker started research for the purposes of writing a biography of G.P. Rouffaer, the KITLV's library's founding father.

To our disappointment, the process which was supposed to lead to the construction of new buildings on site has yet again been delayed as negotiations between Leiden University and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences were not, contrary to expectations, finalised. This entails a delay of at least a year. However, all parties agree that all is not lost that is delayed.

Oostindie was on research leave until 1 September. Schulte Nordholt, Head of Research, was the acting director during this period. When Oostindie returned he resumed his directorship.

Honorary member Dr Silvia W. de Groot-Rosbergen passed away at an advanced age. The KITLV has been left a bequest from her estate in accordance with her wishes. This legacy is intended for the support of young researchers of Caribbean descent. If possible, this fund will be made available in 2010.

 

Portrait of KITLV co-founder Jean Chrétien Baud's family painted by the renowned Javanese artist Raden Saleh around 1830. This portrait is on loan from the Baud family. Photo by Fridus Steijlen.