Historical information
Max Havelaar: Or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company (Dutch: Max Havelaar, of de koffi-veilingen der Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappy) is an 1860 novel by Multatuli (the pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker), which played a key role in shaping and modifying Dutch colonial policy in the Dutch East Indies in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. In the novel, the protagonist, Max Havelaar, tries to battle against a corrupt government system in Java, which was then a Dutch colony.
Significance
The novel was central to the growing public awareness of corruption and exploitation by the Dutch colonial master in the East Indies. Published in 1860 it is considered the highpoint of Dutch literature in the 19th century.
Physical description
Hard cover book by Dr.J.van den Bergh published in 1920 containing a newly selected collection of extracts of the publication "Ideen" (Ideas) by Multatuli. The book is in 2 parts and contains about 600 pages. There are a number of drawings as illustrations.
Inscriptions & markings
The illustrator is Anton van der Valk.
References
- Max Havelaar Max Havelaar was the pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker. By means of the book Multatuli and other publications he drew the Dutch Government's attention to the evils practised in the coffee trade in the one-time Dutch East Indies.
- Woutertje Pieterse The book is considered the second most important work of Dutch litersture in the 19th century.
