Remco Raben conducts research into the decolonisation of the Netherlands Indies/Indonesia from a long-term perspective. In his work, Raben analyses the relationship between the colonial and postcolonial developments in the Netherlands Indies/Indonesia and attempts to bridge the gap between the frequently separated historical perspectives of different communities. He hereby focuses on a diverse range of subjects such as prisons, mobility, urban planning, law and violence, labour organisations, business culture, democracy, education and art.   

In addition, he also explores the political and cultural history of postcolonial Europe, colonial and revolutionary violence in Indonesia, cultures of remembrance and non-Western and colonial art history.

In Amsterdam Raben will concentrate on aspects of culture and remembrance in (post)colonial relationships.

Raben has worked as associate professor at Utrecht University since 2007. Prior to this, he was, among other things, senior researcher at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam. He has also coordinated various research projects on Indonesia such as ‘Indonesia across Orders: The Reorganization and Reorientation of Indonesian Society, 1930-60’ and ‘Rethinking Regionalism: Changing Horizons in Indonesia, 1950s-2000s.’ He has published extensively on the history of Asia since the early modern period until now. His books include De geschiedenis van Indische Nederlanders (Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Bert Bakker 2006), Being ‘Dutch’ in the Indies: A History of Creolisation and Empire, 1500-1920 (Singapore: Singapore University Press/ Athens: Ohio University Press, 2007) and (as editor) Beyond the Dutch. Indonesia, the Netherlands and the visual arts, from 1900 until now (Amsterdam: KIT Publishers, 2009).