Karel Frederik Holle (9 October 1829 in

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Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

– 3 May 1896 in

Buitenzorg Bogor City (), or Bogor (, ), is a landlocked city in the West Java, Indonesia. Located around south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is the 6th largest city in the Jakarta metropolitan area and the 14th overall nationwide.

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

) was a 19-century Dutch colonial administrator in the

Family and early years

Karel Holle was the eldest son of Pieter Holle and Alexandrine Albertine van der Hucht. After his father's unsuccessful attempts to start a sugar refinery in

Koblenz Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman military p ...

in 1836, the

Holle Holle is a village and a municipality in the district of Hildesheim, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 15 km southeast of Hildesheim, and 15 km west of Salzgitter. It was mentioned in Tom Clancy's bestseller ''Red S ...

and van der Hucht families went to the

in 1843 to seek their fortunes in the sugar plantations. Karel's uncle from the van der Hucht family obtained work at a tea company, and his father became the administrator of the Bolang coffee estate near

. His father soon died, after which Karel was educated at home in Batavia in 1845, together with the children of

Jan Jacob Rochussen Jan Jacob Rochussen (23 October 1797 – 21 January 1871) was a Dutch politician. He served as finance minister from 1840 to 1843 and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1845 to 1851. He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers ...

, the

Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies The governor-general of the Dutch East Indies (, ) represented Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949. Occupied by Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945, followed by the ...

from 1845 to 1851.

Early administrative career

In 1846, Karel Holle was appointed clerk at the residential bureau in Tjiandjoer (

Cianjur Cianjur () is a town and district in the West Java province of Indonesia, and is the regency seat, seat of Cianjur Regency. The district of Cianjur is located along one of the main roads between Jakarta (120 km to the northwest) and Bandung ...

) in

West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...

. While he was employed by the government as a young man, he quickly became interested in the local Sundanese culture. After his appointment in 1847 as a clerk at the Directorate of Cultures (Dutch: ''directie der Kultures'') in Batavia and then as 3rd commissioner at the Directorate of Resources and Domains (Dutch: ''directie der Middelen en Domeinen''), he was appointed 1st commissioner in 1853. In 1858, at the age of 27, he became administrator at the Tjikadjang Company (Cikajang Company) in

. In 1865, he rented a parcel of uncultivated land on the northern slope of Mount Tjikoerai (Cikurai), about 13 kilometers south of Garoet (Garut) in Preanger (Parahyangan). He cultivated the land, turned it into a plantation, and called it "Waspada," Indonesian for "be on your guard."

Agricultural development

Holle promoted agricultural development among the local

Sundanese people The Sundanese (; ) are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to Java in Indonesia, primarily West Java. They number approximately 42 million and form Ethnic groups in Indonesia, Indonesia's second most populous ethnic group. T ...

. As the first "agricultural educator" in the Dutch East Indies, he conducted trials to convince Sundanese farmers that rice farming was possible with his method of obtaining higher rice yields. He also wrote about his agricultural methods and translated them into Javanese, Sundanese, and Madurese. In his more than 200 publications, he wrote about topics such as freshwater fish farming and rice agriculture. He also advised against soil erosion and land overuse.

Cultural interests

Holle spoke fluent Sundanese and studied the Koran and many Javanese texts.Moriyama, Mikihiro. ''Semangat Baru: Kolonialisme, Budaya Cetak, dan Kesastraan Sunda Abad ke-19'' (Jakarta: Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia, 2005). Due to his knowledge and interest in working with the local Sundanese people, he was appointed as an unpaid government advisor. This gave him great influence over administrative and economic policy in

. Holle was involved in agriculture, industry, education, language, and administration. In Preanger, he started a local teachers school. Holle also wrote extensively about Sundanese cultural traditions and literature, such as Old Sundanese inscriptions, the Buda script, and Sundanese proverbs.Van den Berge, Tom. ''Van kennis tot kunst. Soendanese poëzie in de koloniale tijd'' (Proefschrift Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, 1993), p. 11-30.

Views on religion

Holle was against what he called "fanatical" Islam, and believed Muslims should be free to fulfill their religious obligations, but with separation of religion and politics. Holle's view was similar to that of Governor-General Cornelis Pijnacker Hordijk and also

C. Snouck Hurgronje Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (; 8 February 185726 June 1936) was a Dutch scholar of Oriental cultures and languages and advisor on native affairs to the colonial government of the Dutch East Indies. Born in Oosterhout in 1857, he became a theo ...

. At the end of 1871, he was rewarded for his service with a new position as Honorary Advisor for Domestic Affairs at the Department of Home Affairs.

Vocabulary lists

Holle collected vocabulary lists of hundreds of language varieties throughout Indonesia. The vocabulary lists that he designed for distribution and elicitation around the Dutch East Indies continued to be collected into the 1930s, long after his death in 1896. The lists were held at the Museum Nasional in Jakarta for decades. In the 1980s, the "Holle lists" were edited by Wim A. L. Stokhof and published by

Pacific Linguistics Pacific Linguistics was established in 1963 as a non-profit publisher at the Australian National University, Canberra, publishing linguistic books (such as grammars and dictionaries) on the languages of Oceania, the Pacific, Australia, Indonesia ...

in 11 sets of volumes.

Final years

Due to declining health, Holle left his "Waspada" farm in 1889 and settled in

(Bogor). He died penniless in Buitenzorg. Holle was buried in

Tanah Abang Tanah Abang () is a districts of Indonesia, district of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The district hosts the biggest textile Market (place), market in Southeast Asia, Tanah Abang Market. It also hosts Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Kelurahan Gelora ...

, a cemetery in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

. In 1899, a monument to him was erected in the central square (''

alun-alun An ''alun-alun'' (Javanese language, Javanese, correctly hyphenated but occurs occasionally without hyphen; also found as ''aloen-aloen'', ''aloon-aloon'', ''aloun-aloun'', and erroneously ''alon-alon'') is a large, central, open lawn Town squa ...

'') of the provincial town of Garoet. The monument's

obelisk An obelisk (; , diminutive of (') ' spit, nail, pointed pillar') is a tall, slender, tapered monument with four sides and a pyramidal or pyramidion top. Originally constructed by Ancient Egyptians and called ''tekhenu'', the Greeks used th ...

features a bronze portrait of Holle with the inscription "De Heren van de Thee".Van Os, Pieter.
Tussen oud en nieuw kolonialisme. De nieuwe heren van de thee
, in: ''De Groene Amsterdammer'' 15 September 2001.

Bibliography

;Vocabulary lists * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. I: Introductory volume''. D-17, vi + 154 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1980. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 2: Sula and

Bacan The Bacan Islands (; ), formerly also known as the Bachans, Bachians, and Batchians, are a group of islands in the Moluccas in Indonesia. They are mountainous and forested, lying south of Ternate and southwest of Halmahera. The islands are adm ...

Islands, North

Halmahera Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coa ...

, South and East Halmahera''. D-28, iv + 329 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1980. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 3/1: Southern

Moluccas The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West Melanesi ...

, Central Moluccas,

Seram Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent i ...

(1)''. D-35, iv + 204 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1981. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 3/2: Central Moluccas, Seram (I1)''. D-44, iv + 211 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1981. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 3/3: Central Moluccas, Seram (II1),

Haruku Haruku Island is an island in Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, Indonesia - lying east of Ambon Island, off the southern coast of Seram and just west of Saparua. It is administered as a single district, Haruku Island District (''Kecamatan ...

Banda Banda may refer to: People * Banda (surname) * Banda Prakash (born 1954), Indian politician * Banda Kanakalingeshwara Rao (1907–1968), Indian actor * Banda Karthika Reddy (born 1977), Indian politician *Banda Singh Bahadur (1670–1716), Sikh ...

, Ambon (I)''. D-49, vi + 219 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1982. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 3/4: Central Moluccas: Ambon (II),

Buru Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon Island, Ambon and Seram Island, Seram island ...

Nusa Laut Nusa Laut (also called Pulau Nusahulawano or Pulau Emas) is the smallest of the three inhabited island in the Lease Islands group situated east of Ambon Island, in Indonesia's Maluku province. It lies just off the south-western corner of Saparu ...

, Saparau''. D-50, iv + 185 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1982. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 4:

Talaud The Talaud Islands Regency () is a regency of North Sulawesi province, Indonesia. The Talaud Islands form an archipelago situated to the northeast of the Minahasa Peninsula, with a land area of 1,251.02 km2. It had a population of 83,434 at the 2 ...

and

Sangir Islands The Sangihe Islands (also spelled "Sangir", "Sanghir" or "Sangi") – – are a group of islands that constitute two regencies within the province of North Sulawesi, in northern Indonesia, the Sangihe Islands Regency. The word Sangihe ...

''. D-51, iv + 317 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1982. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 5/1: Irian Jaya:

Papuan languages The Papuan languages are the non- Austronesian languages spoken on the western Pacific island of New Guinea, as well as neighbouring islands in Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and East Timor. It is a strictly geographical grouping, and does not imply ...

, Northern languages, Central Highlands languages''. D-53, iv + 249 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1983. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 5/2: Irian Jaya:

Austronesian languages The Austronesian languages ( ) are a language family widely spoken throughout Maritime Southeast Asia, parts of Mainland Southeast Asia, Madagascar, the islands of the Pacific Ocean and Taiwan (by Taiwanese indigenous peoples). They are spoken ...

; Papuan languages,

Digul The Digul River () is a major river in South Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is the fourth longest river in New Guinea after Sepik, Mamberamo, and Fly. With a total length of and a drainage basin of . Course The ri ...

area''. D-52, iv + 190 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1982. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 6: The

Lesser Sunda Islands The Lesser Sunda Islands (, , ), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali pro ...

(

Nusa Tenggara The Lesser Sunda Islands (, , ), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali pr ...

)''. D-59, iv + 341 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1983. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 7/1: North Sulawesi:

Gorontalo Gorontalo ( Gorontaloan: ''Hulontalo'') is a province of Indonesia on the island of Sulawesi. Located on the Minahasa Peninsula, Gorontalo was formerly part of the province of North Sulawesi until its inauguration as a separate province on 5 De ...

group and Tontoli''. D-61, iv + 243 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1983. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 7/2: North Sulawesi:

Philippine languages The Philippine languages or Philippinic are a proposed group by R. David Paul Zorc (1986) and Robert Blust (1991; 2005; 2019) that include all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi, Indonesia—except Sama–Bajaw (language ...

''. D-60, vi + 333 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1983. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 7/3: Central Sulawesi: South-West Sulawesi''. D-62, iv + 255 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1984. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 7/4: South-East Sulawesi and neighbouring islands, West and North-East Sulawesi''. D-66, iv + 294 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1985. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 8: Kalimantan (Borneo)''. D-69, iv + 210 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1986. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 9: Northern Sumatra''. D-71, iv + 319 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1985. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 10/1:

Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...

and languages of Central Sumatra''. D-74, iv + 234 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1987. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 10/2: Southern Sumatra''. D-75, iv + 191 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1987. * Stokhof, W.A.L. editor. ''Holle lists: Vocabularies in languages of Indonesia, Vol. 10/3: Islands off the west coast of Sumatra''. D-76, iv + 209 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1987. * Stokhof, W.A.L. with Almanar, A.E. editors. ''Holle lists: vocabularies in languages of Indonesia Vol. 11:

Celebes Sulawesi ( ), also known as Celebes ( ), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's 11th-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Archi ...

, Alor, Ambon,

Irian Jaya New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Austral ...

Madura is an list of islands of Indonesia, Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately (administratively including various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are administratively ...

, and

Lombok Lombok, is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is rou ...

''. D-81, vi + 310 pages. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University, 1987. ;Indonesian scripts * (Dutch)''
Holle, K. F., 1882, ''Tabel van Oud en Nieuw Indische Alphabetten'': Bijdrage tot de Palaeographie van Nederlansch Indie, Batavia. (University of Michigan)
* (Dutch)''
Holle, K. F., 1882, ''Tabel van Oud en Nieuw Indische Alphabetten'': Bijdrage tot de Palaeographie van Nederlansch Indie, Batavia. (Bodleian Library)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holle, Karel Frederik 1829 births 1896 deaths Dutch orientalists 19th-century Dutch East Indies people Indonesianists Dutch ethnographers Dutch agronomists Sundanese literature