The Good German? German Colonial Fantasies on Indonesia in Rudolf Utsch’s Trilogy

Lisda Liyanti; S.M Gietty Tambunan; Lily Tjahjandari

doi:10.24071/joll.v25i1.9408

The Good German? German Colonial Fantasies on Indonesia in Rudolf Utsch’s Trilogy

Lisda Liyanti^(1*), S.M Gietty Tambunan⁽²⁾, Lily Tjahjandari⁽³⁾,

(1) Literature Department, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia
(2) Literature Department, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia
(3) Literature Department, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

The relationship between Germany and Asia is characterized by its complexity and uniqueness. Unlike other European nations, Germany established close connections with Asia by drawing inspiration from its rich cultural heritage. Germany’s historical background, being overpowered and defeated by France at the beginning of its formation to nationhood, led German thinkers and philosophers to seek sources of national self-identity other than those imbued with antiquity and Western culture. Germany's perception of itself about the East (as well as other regions) can be understood through the lens of German colonial fantasies, which depict Germany as a benevolent colonizer capable of establishing harmonious colonies. This concept of colonial fantasy is dynamic and evolves in line with German historical stages. In this study, we will examine Rudolf Utsch's three-part series of German adolescent adventure texts set in Indonesia by employing a textual analysis approach and focusing on the concept of colonial fantasy by Susanne Zantop. The research outcomes suggest that both German characters were depicted as benevolent colonizers, yet their efforts to establish a harmonious colony proved unsuccessful. Several biases stemming from colonial fantasies are discovered, including gender bias, the marginalization of local characters, and an imbalance in the portrayal of space and location.

Keywords

Colonial fantasies; German colonial; Indonesian-German Studies; Adolescence & Travel Literature

References

Auge, M. (1997). Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity. (J. (translator) Howe, Ed.). Verso. https://doi.org/10.2307/3034109

Ferens, D. (2008). A Confidence Man in Africa : Karl May and the German Colonial Enterprise 1. Werkwinkel, 3(1).

Germana, N. A. (2010). Self-Othering in German Orientalism: The Case of Friedrich Schlegel. The Comparatist, 34(1), 80–94. https://doi.org/10.1353/com.0.0075

Grewling, N. (2007). German Heroes of Civilization : Colonial Fantasies in Friedrich Pajeken ’ s Literature for Young Readers. Colloquia Germanica, 40(2), 125–139.

Laaksonen, H. (2021). Challenging Colonial Fantasies – Colonial Literature and Early Twentieth-Century German Southwest Africa (Master Thesis) [Master’s Thesis]. University of Helsinki.

Marchand, S. (2001). German Orientalism and the Decline of the West. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 145(4), 465–473.

McGetchin, D. (2020). South Asian Connections to Germany as Part of Asian German Studies. The German Quarterly, 93(1).

McKee, A. (2003). Textual Analysis A Beginner’s Guide. In Textual Analysis. SAGE Pub. https://doi.org/10.4135/9780857020017.n1

Okafor, U. O. (2013). Mapping Germany’s Colonial Discourse: Fantasy, Reality, and Dillema (Dissertation) [Dissertation, University of Maryland]. https://www.ptonline.com/articles/how-to-get-better-mfi-results

Rabbani, I. (2022). Mooi-indie dalam narasi-narasi perjalanan f.w. junghuhn dan buku puisi priangan si jelita karya ramadhan k.h. Nura: Jurnal NUsantara Raya, 1(1), 44–60.

Rahiem, M. M. (2021). Naturalis Jerman di Tanah Priangan. Layung.

Reuter, T. (2019). German Cultural Diplomacy in Indonesia: Building Cooperation in a Changing World. In ifa Edition Culture and Foreign Policy. https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/62399

Rowe, M. (2023). Germany and the French Revolution. In W. Klosster (Ed.), The Cambridge History of the Age of Atlantic Revolutions Volume II France, Europe, Haiti (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108599405.022

Rudolf Utsch. (n.d.). Retrieved June 8, 2021, from https://peoplepill.com/people/rudolf-utsch

Seemann, H. (2000). Spuren einer Freundschaft Deutsch-Indonesische Beziehungen vom 16. bis 19. Jahrhundert/ Napak Tilas Persahabatan Hubungan Jerman-Indonesia Abad ke-16 hingga ke-19. Cipta Loka Caraka.

Siebert, R. (2002). Berjejak di Indonesia Kisah Hidup Sepuluh Tokoh Jerman. Katalis.

Siegfried, D. (2005). “Don’t trust anyone older than 30?” Voices of conflict and consensus between generations in 1960s West Germany. Journal of Contemporary History, 40(4), 727–744. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022009405056127

Sperber, J. (1998). Review Reviewed Work ( s ): Colonial Fantasies : Conquest , Family , and Nation in Precolonial Germany , 1770-1870 by Susanne Zantop Review. Central European History, 31(1), 122–125.

Spielvogel, J., & Redles, D. (n.d.). Hitler’s Racial Ideology: Content and Occult Sources. Simon Wiesenthal Centre Annual 3, Chapter 9. https://www.museumoftolerance.com/education/archives-and-reference-library/online-resources/simon-wiesenthal-center-annual-volume-3/annual-3-chapter-9.html

Utsch, R. (1970a). Flucht aus der Wildnis. Fischer Goettingen.

Utsch, R. (1970b). Toedliche Feindschaft. Fischer Goettingen.

Utsch, R. (1970c). Unheimlicher Dschungel. Fischer Goettingen.

Walker, S. (2021). Fairy Stories, Myths and Legends. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347438452_Fairy_tales_folklore_and_religion

Zantop, S. (1997). Colonial Fantasies: Conquest, Family, and Nation in Precolonial Germany, 1770-1870. In The German Quarterly. Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/407741

Zechner, J. (2011). Politicized Timber: Imagined Landscapes of the German Forest 1800-1945. The Brock Review, 11(2), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.26522/br.v11i2.315

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24071/joll.v25i1.9408