Not all our quests for warlovechildren in Indonesia ran smoothly. When we were in Bandung, the city in Indonesia that I know best, we decided to follow a tip from the Netherlands to check on a child of a Dutch soldier. It should not be that difficult to find him? Indeed, we have found his home. But what happened next …
Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig were traveling in Indonesia in October 2009 for the filming of the documentary Tuan Papa, that was broadcast on Dutch television on July 1, 2010. While they were looking for warlovechildren and soldiers' sweethearts in Java and Bali, they filmed each other to keep the audience posted about their production developments.
Elly lives in the picturesque town of Kudus in Central Java. When she had the chance to go to the Netherlands in the fifties she did not want to leave her mother alone. So she stayed and has experienced what it is like to grow up as an occupiers' child. When their bamboo house was burned down by nationalists in the heat of battle, she lost the only written information about her Dutch father forever. She remembers that he was serving at the Engineers Corps and that he probably came from Zeeland. Perhaps he died in the Zeeland floods because from 1953 they lost contact. Now his name is the only thing she knows about him. She calls herself proudly: Elly Hoekstra. Elly's story can be read on this website at "Warlovechildren in Indonesia" under the title: 'Hello dad, it's me: Elly, your child!'.
Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig were traveling in Indonesia in October 2009 for the filming of the documentary Tuan Papa, that was broadcast on Dutch television on July 1, 2010. While they were looking for warlovechildren and soldiers' sweethearts in Java and Bali, they filmed each other to keep the audience posted about their production developments.
Op het Tong Tong Festival speelde Inge Dümpel haar monoloog 'Jij bent niet mijn oudste' als try-out. Onder regie van Zwaan de Vries liet Inge zich inspireren door de verhalen van Oorlogsliefdekind. Zij speelde overtuigend een kind, een vader en een moeder. Inge legt nu de laatste hand aan haar monoloog. De aanwezigen bij de try-out waren in ieder geval geraakt en ontroerd. Bekijk deze impressie met een aantal reacties van het publiek.
Wilt u dat Inge Dümpel haar monoloog bij u komt opvoeren? U kunt contact met haar opnemen via email:
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We owe Dien a lot. She is one of the first warlovechildren whom we interviewed in the Netherlands. She put us in contact with her cousin Nana, also a child of a Dutch soldier, with whom she lived in the orphanage during childhood. Dien ended up in the Netherlands and Nana still lives in Indonesia. And the great thing is that Nana's mother was still alive when we were in Indonesia in October 2009 to do the filming. When we visited Nana and her mother Ibu Els in Semarang, Dien was our guide. She took us to the orphanage, accompanied us on the eightieth birthday of Ibu Els and chose the hotel where we stayed. Thanks Dien, it was fun!
Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig were traveling in Indonesia in October 2009 for the filming of the documentary Tuan Papa, that was broadcast on Dutch television on July 1, 2010. While they were looking for warlovechildren and soldiers' sweethearts in Java and Bali, they filmed each other to keep the audience posted about their production developments.
After a broadcast of the NOS 8 o'clock News about our project Warlovechild, a short message appeared on the NOS website from someone called Louis Velleman. He introduced himself as a veteran with a child in Semarang, Indonesia, but he had not left any contact information. We really wanted to meet him because we had not spoken to many daddy soldiers yet. I left a reply for him with the request to contact us. Months had passed without any reaction when Annegriet decided to give about everyone with the name Velleman in the Netherlands a phonecall. To no avail. But one day later (was it coincidence or was it telepathy?) out of nothing Louis Velleman made himself known to us through an email! It appeared that he had migrated to Australia long ago and he found my post after a look at the NOS website. He gave us the contact details of his son Luwi, who was the first to be interviewed by us in Indonesia. Shortly after this meeting we traveled to Adelaide, Australia, where we talked to Louis Velleman himself. It was a strange sensation because the physical distance is too large to bridge for father and son while we ourselves had visited both of them as part of our project within two weeks.
Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig were traveling in Indonesia in October 2009 for the filming of the documentary Tuan Papa, that was broadcast on Dutch television on July 1, 2010. While they were looking for warlovechildren and soldiers' sweethearts in Java and Bali, they filmed each other to keep the audience posted about their production developments.
We already knew of the existence of Jecky because his wonderful story was one of the first to be published on this website (see the category "Warlovechildren in Indonesia ': A reunion after death). I had once met Jecky's brother Ketut and now it was time to visit Jecky himself to have him interviewed. To our big surprise, his mother appeared to be still alive! And so it happened that we yielded two interviews on our Bali trip. The mother produced distant memories of the Dutch soldier with whom she was in love more than 60 years ago. And Jecky showed us how difficult life is for a Balinese with a foreign father: no inheritance and no rights to the use or possession of family land...
Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig were traveling in Indonesia in October 2009 for the filming of the documentary Tuan Papa, that was broadcast on Dutch television on July 1, 2010. While they were looking for warlovechildren and soldiers' sweethearts in Java and Bali, they filmed each other to keep the audience posted about their production developments.
In Jakarta we visited Edwina, a warlovechild. We got her address from her Dutch half sister Gerda in the Netherlands. We were received with open arms by Edwina and her daughter Dina and son-in-law John. In a three-hour interview Edwina told us her moving story and afterwards we talked more extensively with her daughter. The concluding saté tasted excellent.
Thank you Edwina for your beautiful contribution!
Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig were traveling in Indonesia in October 2009 for the filming of the documentary Tuan Papa, that was broadcast on Dutch television on July 1, 2010. While they were looking for warlovechildren and soldiers' sweethearts in Java and Bali, they filmed each other to keep the audience posted about their production developments.
Part 2 of the search by Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig in Indonesia.
Part two of the search is about Hennie and Eddy Tan. During our stay in Semarang (Central Java), we were at the celebration of the 80th birthday of a soldiers' sweetheart. There someone told us that she knew a brother and sister who were supposed to be warlovechildren. Further investigation proved that Eddy and Hennie were indeed born as a result of a love affair between a Dutch soldier and a Chinese-Indonesian women. An interview at home followed.
Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig were traveling in Indonesia in October 2009 for the filming of the documentary Tuan Papa, that was broadcast on Dutch television on July 1, 2010. While they were looking for warlovechildren and soldiers' sweethearts in Java and Bali, they filmed each other to keep the audience posted about their production developments.
Here in Part 1 we followed a tip about a warlovechild who would live on the tea plantation in Pekalongan, three hours driving from Bandung in West Java. Unfortunately he had passed away, but to our surprise we found other important persons for our research and documentary: the mother, who unfortunately was not able to remember the name of her former Dutch lover, and her grandson who was sad not to know the name of his Dutch grandfather.
Annegriet Wietsma and Jean Hellwig were traveling in Indonesia in October 2009 for the filming of the documentary Tuan Papa, that was broadcast on Dutch television on July 1, 2010. While they were looking for warlovechildren and soldiers' sweethearts in Java and Bali, they filmed each other to keep the audience posted about their production developments.
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Sir Daddy for sale!
The documentarySir Daddy (Tuan Papa) about warlovechildren,theirfathers and theirmothersis availableon DVD. Order itherefor only€ 14.95!
Oorlogsverleden J. Klaver
(Sunday, 30 October 2022)
Beste Fred, dank voor deze info. Vele info hebben we verzameld en zijn kleindochter schrijft een bo...
Familie Lammerding
(Wednesday, 07 September 2022)
Beste Roel,
Volgens mij gaat uw bericht over mijn overgrootvader (opa van mijn moeder). Zijn naa...
Op zoek naar Maria Magdalena Kisters
(Friday, 06 May 2022)
Mijn emailadres is fourayes1@hotmail.com
Ik ben op zoek naar mijn zusje Maria Magdalena, ook wel...
Op zoek naar Maria Magdalena Kisters
(Friday, 06 May 2022)
Ik ben op zoek naar mijn zusje Maria Magdalena, ook wel Marietje genoemd. We zijn elkaar in Jakarta...
Recent reactions
Misschien wonen ze al die tijd wel dicht bij zijn graf Ik zie dat de info uit 2016 is en veel kan veranderd zijn,omdat het bij Semarang speelt,moet de suikerfabriek P.G Cipiring zijn destijds Tjipiring te Kendal. Ik zal t hele verhaal nog eens goed lezen,de fabriek bestaat nog,heb paar jaar geleden nog met de...Meer... 12-06-19 11:18
Ik heb twee geboorteaktes Lieve Rika, wat een verhaal.... mijn vader was ambulancechauff eur in Padang.bij het hospitaal...hij heeft een verhouding gehad met een getrouwde chinese vrouw...ik dacht dat ze Mo heette.....raar toeval dat ik jouw verhaal lees..... jij weet natuurlijk n...Meer... 18-03-17 21:23
Ik ben 21 keer in Nederland geweest op zoek naar mijn vader Mijn vader Charles V. Heeft in Padang gewerkt als ambulance chauffeur. Hij heeft een relatie gehad met een vrouw met de naam Mo....? Ik weet niet of er een kind is verwekt.....die vraag heb ik al jaren... Ja de nederlandse staat had hiervoor zorg moeten d...Meer... 18-03-17 20:52
Die Nederlandse militairen waren echte vrouwenversierders Mijn vader Joop van der klauw is in 1949 en 1950 in indonesie als militair geweest. Hij werkte in het magazijn. Sourabaia vlg mij. Hij is aan het dementeren nu en heeft het steeds maar over de wasvrouwtjes in indonesie die meer deden als was in de kast le...Meer... 13-02-17 15:22
Ik weet al heel lang dat ik een halfzus heb Lia, jou vader en de mijne zaten dan waarschijnlijk op dezelfde reis naar Indie met de Tegelberg. Ik ben nog niet verder gekomen met mijn zoektocht, ik hoop er nog steeds op! Wens jou ook veel succes en hoop dat je haar vindt. Hartelijke groet, WillyMeer... 06-09-16 00:23
Hij is altijd haar grote liefde gebleven Het zijn aanvankelijk prachtige verhalen van echte liefde - ik weet er alles van (ik woon al 27 jaar in Malaysia en Indonesia). Die prachtige liefdes zijn echter verbroken en gebroken door de Nederlandse overheid die die deze liefdes gewoon verboden. Het ...Meer... 29-06-16 10:29
It was Love with a big L Go there and meet him, is what I would recommend. He is your son and you are his father. He has a right to know his father, not just from letters and photographs, but in reality. Tickets from Australia are not too expensive nowadays so I hope you can make...Meer... 29-06-16 10:14
De hormonen stroomden uit hun oren Zo herkenbaar al die vragen.... Ik zoek ook nog steeds naar mijn Indische zus. Haar bestaan staat wel vast maar dat is dan ook alles. Hoop dat je de antwoorden vind en misschien ook je zus/broer.Meer... 05-05-16 23:56
Ik weet al heel lang dat ik een halfzus heb Ook mijn vader L J Rullens (roepnaam Bep) heeft gezeten in Soekaboemi hij was grenadier (1e dienstplichtige n die naar Indië gingen.November 1946?) mijn vader was 21 jaar bij zijn vertrek. Mijn vaders maten waar ik hem veel over hebt horen praten droegen ...Meer... 14-12-15 14:38
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