KARTINI, ADVOCATE OF WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Raden Ajeng Kartini is one of Indonesia’s national heroes. Her birthday, 21 April, is celebrated every year as a day for the advocacy of women’s rights. Her ideas about politics, marriage and education for women have made her famous. She was, in many respects, a true reformer. Until this day, Kartini is known all over the country. Many schools are named after her and her letters are published in several languages. Kartini was married to the regent RK.R.M. Adipati Ario Singgih Djojoadinigrat. When their son was born in 1904, Kartini fell ill and died shortly afterwards. She was only 25 years old.

Kartini expressed her views and ideas mainly in her letters to Dutch friends, who she had met while they stayed in Indonesia, or better: on Java, when the country was still colonized by the Dutch. Like most members of the Javanese nobility, Kartini was fluent in Dutch.

Among her regular correspondents were Stella Zeehandelaar and Ms Abendanon-Mandri. More than one hundred letters have been preserved. The majority is kept at Leiden University Libraries but some letters belong to the National Archives in Jakarta and The Hague.

Early 2025, the letters and archives of Kartini were added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, a rare and honourable award. The letters are testimony to the continuing value of Kartini’s work and her lasting influence and inspiration for millions of people. This modest exhibition aims to stress her achievements and to draw attention to all the letters, documents and photographs preserved in Leiden.