Since it was founded in 1851 as an association (Vereniging), the Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde / Royal Netherlands Institute for Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) had a threefold mission consisting of: collections development and management, research, and publishing academic work, mainly on Indonesia and the ‘Dutch’ Caribbean. The specific ways in which these goals were met, changed tremendously during the past 174 years.
KITLV_KNAW
From 1 January 2000, the KITLV became an institute of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen / Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).
Vereniging KITLV
The Vereniging KITLV continued its activities alongside the research institute KITLV-KNAW.
Read more about the Vereniging (in Dutch).
In 2012 the publishing house KITLV Press closed and Brill Academic Publishers took over the publication of the book series Verhandelingen, the Caribbean Series, as well as the journals BKI and NWIG.
KITLV Collections
From 1 July 2014, the KITLV collections were transferred to the Leiden University Libraries (UBL). The Vereniging KITLV remained the owner of the KITLV collections acquired until 2014. Until now the KITLV collections are still managed by the UBL.
KITLV-Jakarta
Also the KITLV office in Jakarta (KITLV-Jakarta), which was opened in 1969 by the KITLV office in Leiden, was transferred under the auspices of the Leiden University Library in July 2014.
KITLV-KNAW Research Institute
Since 2014, the research institute KITLV-KNAW is dedicated to the study of societal challenges, focusing on the histories and afterlives of colonialism in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the Netherlands. Departing from a globally comparative and interdisciplinary perspective, the KITLV engages primarily with the broad themes of Mobility and Belonging; State, Violence, and Citizenship; and Climate Governance.
History of 150 years KITLV
In 2001 KITLV Press published a book on the history of 150 years KITLV: Tussen oriëntalisme en wetenschap [Between orientalism and science] by Maarten Kuitenbrouwer. In 2013, the English version appeared under the title Dutch scholarship in the age of empire and beyond. Read more
Pictures of the anonymous faces of a 'baboe' from the KITLV collection. Photo; Maarten Nauw.
