Discovering the Colonial Institute: the Tropenmuseum

Abstract

In ‘Discovering the Colonial Institute: the Tropenmuseum’ historical research is conducted on the colonial traces that can be found in the Colonial Institute, which is now known as the Tropenmuseum. Nowadays much attention is paid in Dutch society to how the colonial past is dealt with. But at a point in history, as a Dutch citizen, it was normal to live in a country that had colonies overseas. With the arrival of ethical politics, the view on colonialism started to slowly change. This change, together with the initiative of a hand full of people, eventually resulted in the establishment of the Colonial Institute, which served as a museum and research center. Although museums are often regarded as places dedicated to beautiful things, and therefore as neutral and apolitical spaces, they can also play a role in cultural and political debates. This leads to the main research question of this history thesis: What was the cultural and political importance of the Colonial Institute in Amsterdam and how did the architecture of the building contribute to this? This research is focused on the history and motive of establishing and building the Colonial Institute in Amsterdam. This also includes the architecture of the building designed by J.J and M.A. van Nieukerken and what cultural and political importance this had for the Dutch people.