A History of Plague in Java, 1911–1942

The Dutch response to the 1911 plague outbreak in Malang resulted in one of the most invasive health interventions in Dutch colonial Indonesia, involving the renovation or rebuilding of 1.6 million houses and the exposure of countless Javanese to health messaging. This response was documented in photographs and used as propaganda to demonstrate the ethical nature of colonial rule, expanding colonial oversight and influence in rural Java.

Format: Hardback
Length: 258 pages
Publication date: 15 December 2022
Publisher: Cornell University Press

In his comprehensive work, A History of Plague in Java,1911–1942, Maurits Bastiaan Meerwijk delves into the intricate details of the official response to the 1911 outbreak of plague in Malang, Indonesia. Driven by a fervent desire to combat the disease, Dutch physicians and officials embraced the rat-flea-man theory of transmission, which suggested a material connection between rat plague and human plague. Consequently, a massive initiative was launched to renovate and rebuild 1.6 million houses, subjecting millions more to periodic inspections, and disseminating health messaging aimed at rat-proofing both houses and beliefs. This transformative endeavor was meticulously documented through hundreds of photographs, which were then broadcasted to overseas audiences as evidence of the ethical nature of colonial rule. The effectiveness of this propaganda was such that the rebuilding efforts continued even as more advanced alternatives, such as inoculation, became available. By systematically reshaping the built environment, the Dutch plague response not only expanded colonial oversight and influence in rural Java but also had far-reaching implications for the region's social, cultural, and economic landscape.

In his comprehensive work, A History of Plague in Java,1911–1942, Maurits Bastiaan Meerwijk delves into the intricate details of the official response to the 1911 outbreak of plague in Malang, Indonesia. Driven by a fervent desire to combat the disease, Dutch physicians and officials embraced the rat-flea-man theory of transmission, which suggested a material connection between rat plague and human plague. Consequently, a massive initiative was launched to renovate and rebuild 1.6 million houses, subjecting millions more to periodic inspections, and disseminating health messaging aimed at rat-proofing both houses and beliefs. This transformative endeavor was meticulously documented through hundreds of photographs, which were then broadcasted to overseas audiences as evidence of the ethical nature of colonial rule. The effectiveness of this propaganda was such that the rebuilding efforts continued even as more advanced alternatives, such as inoculation, became available. By systematically reshaping the built environment, the Dutch plague response not only expanded colonial oversight and influence in rural Java but also had far-reaching implications for the region's social, cultural, and economic landscape.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501766824