Top 10 Websites for Research in the Former Dutch East Indies

Here are my favorite resources for research in the former Dutch East Indies, what is now Indonesia:

1. Nationaal Archief
   The website of the National Archives of the Netherlands. Items of interest include:
   • VOC: Dutch East India Company finding aid and images
   • KNIL: Muster rolls of soldiers in the Royal Dutch East Indies Army. Finding aid and images.
   • Dutch Sources on South East Asia. Research guide.
   • Afscheid van Indie [goodbye to the Indies] searchable scans of records relating to the independence of Indonesia, 1940-1950.
   • Molukkers naar Nederland [Moluccans to the Netherlands]. Searchable index of Moluccan families who were brought to the Netherlands in the 1950s after the Indonesian Independence.
   • Administration of Indies Pensions. Index.
   • East Indies Book. Index of muster rolls of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army.
   • Personnel records civil servants in the Indies. Index.
   • Japanese Internment Camp cards. Index of people in Japanese internment camps in the Dutch East Indies during World War II.
     See “Indexen” for a complete overview of all available indexes.
2. Atlases of the Dutch East Indies (see section B – Bibliotheek).
   • Grote Atlas van Nederlands Oost-Indië [Great Atlas of the Dutch East Indies] by J.R. van Diessen, F.J. Ormeling
   • Grote Atlas van de VOC deel I: Atlas Izaak de Graaf [Great Atlas of the Dutch East India Company, vol. I: Atlas Izaak de Graaf].
3. RoosjeRoos
   RoosjeRoos is the website by researchers Maarten and Willy Etmans, who specialize in research in the Dutch East Indies. Their website includes the index of the civil registration of the Dutch East Indies, as taken from the annual government almanacs. Click “Burgerlijke stand” [civil registration] for the search form.
4. Indische Genealogische Vereniging [Indies Genealogical Society]
   This society publishes sources from the former Dutch East Indies, some of which are available online for members. The website includes Janssen’s Indisch Repertorium, which provides references to publications mentioning families from the Dutch East Indies.
5. FamilySearch
   FamilySearch has scans of many sources of the Dutch East Indies, including scans of civil registration records. Most of these scans can only be accessed in Family History Centers or affiliated libraries. Search the FamilySearch catalog for the town to find out which sources are available.
6. Delpher.
   Searchable newspapers and publications. The newspaper (“kranten”) section contains many newspapers from the former Dutch East Indies.
7. Arsip National Republik Indonesia
   Website of the National Archives of Indonesia. The Archive section includes many records from Batavia castle.
8. MRVisser.
   Website that publishes sources from the Dutch East Indies and a genealogical database of families from the Dutch East Indies.
9. Japanse Burgerkampen [Japanese civilian camps]
   Website about Japanese internment camps in the Dutch East Indies in World War II, with names of prisoners.
10. Museum Bronbeek
    Museum specializing in the colonial-military history of the Netherlands. Their catalog includes publications, manuscripts, and photos from the Dutch East Indies.
    Hattip: Karin Vervelde, Dutch Genealogy Facebook group.

View of Batavia, about 1665. Credits: Johannes Vingboons, collection Nationaal Archief (public domain)

Many of these websites are in Dutch only. You can use Google Translate to help you.