Atlas Van Indonesie

Dutch school atlas of a newly independent Indonesia.

This intriguing atlas of the former colony of the Dutch East Indies was published in Batavia/Jakarta by J.B. Wolters around 1950 – very shortly after official recognition of the Republic of Indonesia. A series of color maps created by local geography teacher Cornelius Lekkerkerker identifies primary geographic features, transportation networks, and important local industries. Islands covered include Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, and the Moluccas.

The map of Indonesia is notable for still using mostly Indonesian toponyms (with the exception of Batavia) and showing further European enclaves, including the British in Brunei, the Portuguese in East Timor, and the French in Vietnam (Cochin-China). The world map shows primary transportation routes between the Netherlands and its former colonies in Southeast Asia, as well as its remaining overseas territories in Dutch Guiana. According to a fascinating analysis on school atlases published for the Dutch East Indies,

“The publisher, J.B.Wolters, controlled 80% of the educational market in Indonesia in 1942. In the aftermath of Indonesia’s independence, it played an important role in getting the Dutch public used to the new Indonesian spelling and decolonised toponyms, as it tried to retain this market and therefore was a prime mover in changing over to the new spelling and new names. This was to no avail, however, as the Indonesian possessions of Wolters were disappropriated in 1957.”

Source.