In The Christian Slaves of Depok: A Colonial Tale Unravels, historian Dr Nonja Peters examines the little-known history of Depok, a community near Batavia (present-day Jakarta), whose origins are closely associated with Dutch East India Company official Cornelis Chastelein.
In the early eighteenth century, Chastelein established a distinctive Christian community of formerly enslaved people drawn from different parts of the Indonesian archipelago. Following his death in 1714, his estate arrangements provided the foundations for a community that developed its own religious, social and cultural identity.
Peters traces the experiences of the Depok community across three centuries, examining the legacies of slavery, emancipation, Christianity and Dutch colonial rule. Particular attention is given to the community’s changing circumstances during Indonesian independence, when many Depok families experienced violence, displacement and the loss of their established position in colonial society.
The book also explores the subsequent migration of Depok descendants to the Netherlands and other countries, and their efforts to preserve their family histories, cultural traditions and collective identity.
Drawing on historical research and personal experiences, Peters presents the history of Depok as an example of the complex relationships between slavery, colonialism, religion, migration and belonging in the former Netherlands East Indies.
The publication contributes to understanding the wider Dutch colonial experience and the enduring consequences of decolonisation for communities whose histories extend across Indonesia, the Netherlands and the broader diaspora.
About the author
For Nonja Peters’ biography and an overview of her research, publications, exhibitions and international collaborations, see:
Dr Nonja Peters – Historian of Dutch-Australian migration, heritage and cultural identity
