Eduard Douwes Dekker, writing as Multatuli, produced Max Havelaar (1860) — the Dutch novel that exposed colonial exploitation in the Dutch East Indies and ranks among the most politically consequential books in European literary history. This critical study, part of the Onze groote schrijvers series, examines Multatuli’s life, his turbulent colonial service, and his literary legacy with scholarly care.
The essay situates Multatuli within Dutch cultural and political history and assesses his continuing relevance to debates about empire and justice. Note: this text is in Dutch.