Terugblik - 19 April 2017
War in The Dutch East-Indies - with Alfred Birney and Hans Goedkoop
A programme - in Dutch - on the role of Dutch fathers and grandfathers in the Indonesian war of independence in the late fourties of the past century. Alfred Birney wrote a novel on the history of his father, who was a spy, informer, bodyguard and murderer, fighting for the Dutch. Birney tells that story, but also what happened after the war, in his bad relationship with his father. Hans Goedkoop reconstructed the history of his grandfather who was a high ranking officer in the Dutch army in that same war of independance. He was the man who arrested Soekarno, the first president of the Republic of Indonesia. After the war, the story of his grandfather 'fell through the hole of history'. Moderator was Paul van der Gaag (VPRO O.v.t.).
Dutch spoken. A programme made by Ton van de Langkruis (Writers Unlimited). Bookselling by Van Stockum.