Dick de Hoog
Encyclopedia
Dick de Hoog was the Indo (Eurasian) President of the Indo European Alliance
, member of People’s Council
and professional politician in the Dutch East Indies. He was also a Grand Master (Masonic)
of the Dutch East Indies Freemasonry
(Grand Orient of the Netherlands
).
He was born on Ambon and died in Bandung
, Dutch East Indies
. He was the son of a Dutch father Johannes Hermanus Josephus de Hoog, employed in the Dutch East Indies Navy, and Indo (Eurasian) mother Susanna Beekman. He was married to the Indo Chinese
Kiong Nio Oei (1874–1961). The couple had two adoptive children.
After an expeditious and successful professional career Dick de Hoog went into politics and became the undisputed leader of the Indo Europeesch Verbond (English: Indo European Alliance), the most important Indo emancipation movement of the time. As its representative he became a professional politician and full time member of the Dutch East Indies ‘Volksraad’, an infant form of parliament .
He successfully united all Indo social layers and built the largest Indo organisation in the Dutch East Indies. His organisation became the biggest political fraction represented in the People’s Assembly fighting for race equality and a self-sufficient and independent nation, albeit as a dominion in a larger Dutch commonwealth .
A beloved and popular figure among Indos in the Dutch East Indies
he became the face and voice of Indo emancipation. Emerging as the IEV’s charismatic leader he was a champion of Indo interests in the Dutch East Indies until his death in 1939.
HBS at the young age 16. He started his professional career as a clerk in Surabaya and at age 19 joined the State Railway company. Within a few years he was promoted to chief of its main cargo freight station. By 1905 he was station chief in Jombang
, where his career halted due to the fact that the highest job positions in the Dutch East Indies were restricted to people educated in the Netherlands and were usually occupied by expatriate Dutchmen.
With the financial help from a friend, the already married De Hoog, was able to pursue an academic education in the Netherlands in 1914. In record time he graduated from Leiden University
in 1916. The next year he and his wife traveled back to the Dutch East Indies via the USA. In Batavia he became the right hand man of the director of the State Railway company and in 1922 its principal officer in Jogjakarta. In 1925 he was promoted again and moved to Bandung
as Inspector First Class.
in 1919 De Hoog joined the IEV board of directors in 1920. In 1922 he became its Vice-President and in 1923 its representative in the Volksraad an infant form of parliament. When in 1927 he joined the 'Board of Delegates', responsible for the daily administration of the 'Volksraad', he requested honorable discharge of his job with the State Railway organisation.
De Hoog was now totally dedicated to his political aspirations. After initially having a two-headed presidency De Hoog became the IEV’s sole President in 1929. That same year De Hoog, lovingly nicknamed the ‘Big Boss’, was responsible for successfully attracting close to 15,000 members. In 1930 he became deputy chairman of the 'Board of Delegates' and vice chairman of the 'Volksraad'. By now the IEV had grown into the largest political fraction in the 'Volksraad'. In his political functions De Hoog proved to be a skillful administrator, shrewd politician and excellent orator. Both friend and foe praised his immaculate memory, subject matter knowledge, discretion and strong work ethic.
De Hoog considered solidarity essential to further emancipation and his first priority was to ensure unity within all social layers of the Indo community of the plural and polarized Dutch East Indies. Under his leadership the organisation struggled to acquire both civil rights for natives of the colony as well as increased self-determination for the Dutch East Indies. The colonial authorities however continued to procrastinate democratic progress and the Dutch East Indies remained considerably more centralised and conservative than the Netherlands
. Key issues like uplifting the ban on land ownership for Indos and autonomy for the colony were never resolved.
Although during his lifetime he was widely acknowledged as the undisputed leader of the IEV and a popular and respected champion of Indo emancipation
in the Dutch East Indies, his organisation was unable to build up enough influence to reverse the ongoing marginalisation of the vulnerable Indo community. After the great change of paradigm during WWII the IEV was unable to surmount the vicissitudes of the clash between Dutch colonialism and the Indonesian independence movement.
Indo Europeesch Verbond
The Indo Europeesch Verbond or Indo European Alliance was a social movement and political organisation founded in 1919 by the Indo-European community of the Dutch East Indies that fought for race equality and political say in late colonial Indonesia during the early 20th century.It was one of the...
, member of People’s Council
Volksraad (Dutch East Indies)
A People's Council for the Dutch East Indies was provided for by law in 1916. But was procrastinated until the actual installation of the Council in 1918. It was a hesitant and slow attempt at democratisation of the Dutch East Indies. The power of the Volksraad was limited as it only had advisory...
and professional politician in the Dutch East Indies. He was also a Grand Master (Masonic)
Grand Master (Masonic)
In Freemasonry a Grand Master is the leader of the lodges within his Masonic jurisdiction. He presides over a Grand Lodge, and has certain rights in the constituent lodges that form his jurisdiction....
of the Dutch East Indies Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
(Grand Orient of the Netherlands
Grand Orient of the Netherlands
The Grand Orient of the Netherlands is a Masonic Grand Lodge in the Netherlands. It is recognized by UGLE...
).
He was born on Ambon and died in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
, Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. He was the son of a Dutch father Johannes Hermanus Josephus de Hoog, employed in the Dutch East Indies Navy, and Indo (Eurasian) mother Susanna Beekman. He was married to the Indo Chinese
Chinese Indonesian
Chinese Indonesians, also called the Indonesian Chinese, are an overseas Chinese group whose ancestors emigrated from China to Indonesia, formerly a colony of the Netherlands known as the Dutch East Indies...
Kiong Nio Oei (1874–1961). The couple had two adoptive children.
After an expeditious and successful professional career Dick de Hoog went into politics and became the undisputed leader of the Indo Europeesch Verbond (English: Indo European Alliance), the most important Indo emancipation movement of the time. As its representative he became a professional politician and full time member of the Dutch East Indies ‘Volksraad’, an infant form of parliament .
He successfully united all Indo social layers and built the largest Indo organisation in the Dutch East Indies. His organisation became the biggest political fraction represented in the People’s Assembly fighting for race equality and a self-sufficient and independent nation, albeit as a dominion in a larger Dutch commonwealth .
A beloved and popular figure among Indos in the Dutch East Indies
Indos in colonial history
Indos are a Eurasian people of mixed Indonesian and European descent. The pre-colonial evolution of this hybrid Eurasian community in the East Indies commenced during the arrival of Portuguese traders in the 16th century and continued with the arrival of Dutch traders in the 17th and 18th...
he became the face and voice of Indo emancipation. Emerging as the IEV’s charismatic leader he was a champion of Indo interests in the Dutch East Indies until his death in 1939.
Social career
De Hoog was the youngest of 5 children. Due to the death of his father when he was still an infant toddler the family was unable to afford appropriate schooling for the brilliant and inquisitive boy. Fortunately a scholarship granted by the Freemasons lodge enabled De Hoog to graduate cum laude at the SurabayaSurabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
HBS at the young age 16. He started his professional career as a clerk in Surabaya and at age 19 joined the State Railway company. Within a few years he was promoted to chief of its main cargo freight station. By 1905 he was station chief in Jombang
Jombang
Jombang may refer to the following places in Indonesia:*Jombang Regency, a regency of East Java**Jombang, Jombang, a subdistrict of Jombang, East Java*Jombang, Jember, a subdistrict of Jember, East Java*Jombang, Cilegon, a subdistrict of Cilegon, Banten...
, where his career halted due to the fact that the highest job positions in the Dutch East Indies were restricted to people educated in the Netherlands and were usually occupied by expatriate Dutchmen.
With the financial help from a friend, the already married De Hoog, was able to pursue an academic education in the Netherlands in 1914. In record time he graduated from Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
in 1916. The next year he and his wife traveled back to the Dutch East Indies via the USA. In Batavia he became the right hand man of the director of the State Railway company and in 1922 its principal officer in Jogjakarta. In 1925 he was promoted again and moved to Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
as Inspector First Class.
Political career
Meanwhile De Hoog had also commenced his political career and soon became the main leader of the IEV (Indo European Alliance), the most important Indo emancipation movement of the time. Founded by Karel ZaalbergKarel Zaalberg
Karel Zaalberg was an Indo journalist and politician in the Dutch East Indies.He was born in Batavia, Java, Dutch East Indies, and also died there...
in 1919 De Hoog joined the IEV board of directors in 1920. In 1922 he became its Vice-President and in 1923 its representative in the Volksraad an infant form of parliament. When in 1927 he joined the 'Board of Delegates', responsible for the daily administration of the 'Volksraad', he requested honorable discharge of his job with the State Railway organisation.
De Hoog was now totally dedicated to his political aspirations. After initially having a two-headed presidency De Hoog became the IEV’s sole President in 1929. That same year De Hoog, lovingly nicknamed the ‘Big Boss’, was responsible for successfully attracting close to 15,000 members. In 1930 he became deputy chairman of the 'Board of Delegates' and vice chairman of the 'Volksraad'. By now the IEV had grown into the largest political fraction in the 'Volksraad'. In his political functions De Hoog proved to be a skillful administrator, shrewd politician and excellent orator. Both friend and foe praised his immaculate memory, subject matter knowledge, discretion and strong work ethic.
De Hoog considered solidarity essential to further emancipation and his first priority was to ensure unity within all social layers of the Indo community of the plural and polarized Dutch East Indies. Under his leadership the organisation struggled to acquire both civil rights for natives of the colony as well as increased self-determination for the Dutch East Indies. The colonial authorities however continued to procrastinate democratic progress and the Dutch East Indies remained considerably more centralised and conservative than the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Key issues like uplifting the ban on land ownership for Indos and autonomy for the colony were never resolved.
Final years
In 1938 the IEV celebrated De Hoog's 10 years as President and a social fund was named after him. He was at the height of his fame and had acquired significant nicknames such as the 'uncrowned King of the IEV' and the 'Indo general'. His health however started failing and after several heart failures he suffered a fatal stroke at age 57. His death in 1939 was front page news in both the Dutch East Indies and the Netherlands and his burial in Bandung was a impressive event paying homage to his work for the Indo community.Although during his lifetime he was widely acknowledged as the undisputed leader of the IEV and a popular and respected champion of Indo emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
in the Dutch East Indies, his organisation was unable to build up enough influence to reverse the ongoing marginalisation of the vulnerable Indo community. After the great change of paradigm during WWII the IEV was unable to surmount the vicissitudes of the clash between Dutch colonialism and the Indonesian independence movement.
External links
- Online biography at the Institute for Dutch History. Retrieved 6 November 2010