Dutch East Indies heritage project

The municipality’s Bureau for Monuments and Historical Sites (Monumentenzorg) will start a joint project with the Historical Museum of The Hague entitled ‘Sporen van Smaragd’ (Traces of Emerald). It will study the Dutch East Indies heritage in buildings constructed in The Hague between 1853 and 1945.

The goal of the project is to take stock of the original traces of the Dutch East Indies heritage in The Hague and make them accessible to a wide audience.

The Hague has been a multicultural city for centuries and the city’s bond with the former Dutch East Indies holds a prominent place in its history. The historical, social and cultural exchange with the Dutch East Indies left behind a large number of visible traces in the city, particularly in physical buildings. An increasing number of original elements from the Dutch East Indies are disappearing from the city due to renovation projects or demolition of old buildings.

The project consists of three parts:

1. A thorough inventory of buildings in The Hague which testify to the bond with the Dutch East Indies. These can include office buildings of (former) Dutch East Indies organisations, restaurants and tokos, homes of people who returned from the Dutch East Indies, buildings designed by architects from the Dutch East Indies and building with style elements from the Dutch East Indies. This will result in a database, which can help determine future policy for historic monuments.
2. The Sporen van Smaragd photo storehouse will document Dutch East Indies heritage in photos. People are asked to add their photos of (former) Dutch East Indies buildings, interiors and architectural details in The Hague.
3. The online Sporen van Smaragd network aims to bring together experts in the area of Dutch East Indies heritage in the Netherlands. People working for heritage organisations, historical clubs, Dutch East Indies clubs and other professionals are invited to participate.

The project is being carried out by Kroon & Wagtberg Hansen Kunsthistorisch Projectmanagement in The Hague.