12 Sep Opening new location KITLV-Jakarta by the Ambassador of the Netherlands

On 12 September 2014 H.E. the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mr. Tjeerd de Zwaan (left) and the director of KITLV-Jakarta, Dr. Roger Tol (middle) signed the agreement confirming the relocation of KITLV-Jakarta to the premises of the Dutch Embassy in Jakarta. In a short ceremony, De Zwaan and Tol opened the new location by cutting a ribbon. Among those attending were officials from the Embassy, the staff of KITLV-Jakarta as well as KITLV’s director Prof. Gert Oostindie.*

Afterwards, Oostindie had a farewell meeting with the staff of KITLV-Jakarta. As of July 1st, KITLV-Jakarta will be managed by the Library of Leiden University (UBL). Oostindie expressed his heartfelt thanks to the staff of KITLV-Jakarta for many years of dedicated and professional work, and emphasized that he has full confidence that in the new arrangement, KITLV-Jakarta will be able to uphold the high standards achieved in the past. He wished Roger Tol and his staff success, and assured that KITLV will remain closely associated with KITLV-Jakarta.

*To our great dismay, we learned that only a few days after this event, Mr. Douwe Sol (right) died in a traffic incident in Bogor. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, as well as to all of his colleagues at the Dutch Embassy, the Erasmushuis and the other institutions at the embassy compound who will all dearly miss him.