An outdoor exhibition titled ‘Samangat! Moluks in Amsterdam’ has opened on the Kop van Java to mark 75 years since the first Moluccan families arrived in the city.
The display features 16 large-scale portraits of Moluccan Amsterdammers, ranging in age from 10 to 95, set up at the precise location where their ancestors landed.
Arrival at Javakade
In 1951, transport ships including the De Grote Beer and the Asturias docked at the Javakade carrying around 1,900 Moluccan KNIL soldiers and their families.
Following the Indonesian War of Independence, the military personnel were brought to the Netherlands on official orders after political developments prevented their demobilization on Ambon.
Upon arrival, the soldiers were discharged from service and relocated to temporary housing camps across the country, including former transit camps like Vught and Westerbork.
Portraits across generations
Photographer Eva van Kesteren captured the featured residents in their local neighborhoods, outside their homes, and near their churches.
Curator Huib Akihary organized the project to highlight the long-standing relationship between Amsterdam and the Moluccas, which extends back well before the arrivals in the 1950s.
While many Moluccan families were later settled in designated neighborhoods across the Netherlands, an estimated 7,000 Moluccan residents live scattered throughout Amsterdam today.
Exhibition details
The display includes personal reflections from local residents, many of whom began researching their own family histories after their parents rarely spoke about their past military experiences.
The project is a collaboration involving the Amsterdam Museum and the upcoming National Slavery Museum initiative.
Visitors can view the free outdoor installation along the Kop van Java through October 22, 2026.
