BibTex Citation Data :
@article{JSCL67878, author = {Willy Durinx and Uli Kozok}, title = {Hans Christoffel: Kapten Kecil Penakluk Rimba}, journal = {Jurnal Sejarah Citra Lekha}, volume = {10}, number = {1}, year = {2026}, keywords = {Hans Christoffel, KNIL, sejarah kolonial, Korps Marechaussee te Voet, Aceh, Alas, Barito, Batak, Bone, Flores, Gayo, Gowa, perang, persenjataan, Hindia Belanda, Pax Neerlandica}, abstract = { Abstract Hans Christoffel, a Swiss-born officer in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL), served from 1886 to 1910, leaving a complex legacy marked by both reverence and infamy. Known as “The Acehnese Tiger” for his harsh tactics during the Aceh War, Christoffel became a decorated military leader, rapidly advancing due to his exceptional service, particularly as a commander in the elite Korps Marechaussee te Voet, a unit created to counter guerrilla resistance in the Dutch East Indies. Renowned for his innovative guerrilla counter-strategy and ruthless tactics, including hostage-taking and brutal pacification campaigns, he earned a formidable reputation among both his subordinates and his enemies. The article traces Christoffel’s transformation from a feared enforcer of colonial violence into a peace-seeking spiritualist, who later renounced his militaristic past. It situates his military legacy within the broader context of Dutch ethical policy and the contested implementation of Pax Neerlandica. Drawing from colonial reports, newspaper articles, and ethnographic museum collections, this study critically examines the intersections between violence, colonial governance, and the personal evolution of a man once known as the “Flying Swiss.” Abstrak Hans Christoffel, seorang perwira kelahiran Swiss di tentara Hindia Belanda (KNIL), bertugas dari tahun 1886 hingga 1910, meninggalkan jejak warisan yang kompleks, dihormati namun sekaligus menimbulkan kontroversi. Dijuluki “Harimau Aceh” karena kebengisannya dalam Perang Aceh, Christoffel menjadi pemimpin militer yang memiliki integritas, profesionalisme dan dedikasi yang tinggi. Berkat jasanya yang luar biasa, terutama sebagai komandan di Korps Marechaussee te Voet (Marsose), sebuah satuan elite yang dibentuk untuk menghadapi perlawanan gerilya di Hindia Belanda, ia cepat naik pangkat. Dikenal dengan strategi kejam seperti penyanderaan dan kampanye “pemulihan ketertiban” yang tidak mengenal ampun, ia dipuji-puji di Belanda sebagai seorang pahlawan namun ditakuti oleh masyarakat setempat sebagai salah seorang perwira KNIL yang paling brutal. Dengan mengkaji laporan kolonial, artikel surat kabar, dan koleksi museum etnografi, kajian ini mengupas secara kritis persimpangan antara kekerasan, pemerintahan kolonial, dan transformasi pribadi seorang algojo kolonial menjadi pencari kedamaian yang menanggalkan masa lalunya dan memeluk filsafat Hindu serta pandangan spiritualis. Transformasinya yang kompleks ini mencerminkan dampak moral dan psikologis dari konflik kolonial, menggambarkan hidup yang awalnya didedikasikan untuk tugas militer, namun akhirnya beralih kepada pencarian spiritual. Artikel ini juga menempatkan warisan militernya dalam konteks Politik Etis dan realisasi kontroversial dari Pax Neerlandica. }, issn = {2443-0110}, doi = {10.14710/jscl.v10i1.67878}, url = {https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/jscl/article/view/67878} }
Refworks Citation Data :
Abstract
Hans Christoffel, a Swiss-born officer in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL), served from 1886 to 1910, leaving a complex legacy marked by both reverence and infamy. Known as “The Acehnese Tiger” for his harsh tactics during the Aceh War, Christoffel became a decorated military leader, rapidly advancing due to his exceptional service, particularly as a commander in the elite Korps Marechaussee te Voet, a unit created to counter guerrilla resistance in the Dutch East Indies. Renowned for his innovative guerrilla counter-strategy and ruthless tactics, including hostage-taking and brutal pacification campaigns, he earned a formidable reputation among both his subordinates and his enemies. The article traces Christoffel’s transformation from a feared enforcer of colonial violence into a peace-seeking spiritualist, who later renounced his militaristic past. It situates his military legacy within the broader context of Dutch ethical policy and the contested implementation of Pax Neerlandica. Drawing from colonial reports, newspaper articles, and ethnographic museum collections, this study critically examines the intersections between violence, colonial governance, and the personal evolution of a man once known as the “Flying Swiss.”
Abstrak
Hans Christoffel, seorang perwira kelahiran Swiss di tentara Hindia Belanda (KNIL), bertugas dari tahun 1886 hingga 1910, meninggalkan jejak warisan yang kompleks, dihormati namun sekaligus menimbulkan kontroversi. Dijuluki “Harimau Aceh” karena kebengisannya dalam Perang Aceh, Christoffel menjadi pemimpin militer yang memiliki integritas, profesionalisme dan dedikasi yang tinggi. Berkat jasanya yang luar biasa, terutama sebagai komandan di Korps Marechaussee te Voet (Marsose), sebuah satuan elite yang dibentuk untuk menghadapi perlawanan gerilya di Hindia Belanda, ia cepat naik pangkat. Dikenal dengan strategi kejam seperti penyanderaan dan kampanye “pemulihan ketertiban” yang tidak mengenal ampun, ia dipuji-puji di Belanda sebagai seorang pahlawan namun ditakuti oleh masyarakat setempat sebagai salah seorang perwira KNIL yang paling brutal. Dengan mengkaji laporan kolonial, artikel surat kabar, dan koleksi museum etnografi, kajian ini mengupas secara kritis persimpangan antara kekerasan, pemerintahan kolonial, dan transformasi pribadi seorang algojo kolonial menjadi pencari kedamaian yang menanggalkan masa lalunya dan memeluk filsafat Hindu serta pandangan spiritualis. Transformasinya yang kompleks ini mencerminkan dampak moral dan psikologis dari konflik kolonial, menggambarkan hidup yang awalnya didedikasikan untuk tugas militer, namun akhirnya beralih kepada pencarian spiritual. Artikel ini juga menempatkan warisan militernya dalam konteks Politik Etis dan realisasi kontroversial dari Pax Neerlandica.
Article Metrics:
Last update:
Authors whose articles are published in Jurnal Sejarah Citra Lekha (JSCL) retain the copyright to their work and grant the journal the right of first publication. The work is simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. By submitting a manuscript to JSCL, the author(s) agree to this policy. No separate documentation is required.The author(s) guarantee that:
The work is subject to copyright held exclusively by the author(s), is free of third-party rights, and all necessary written permissions to quote from other sources have been obtained.The author(s) retain the following rights to the published work, including but not limited to:
If the article is co-authored, the submitting author confirms that all co-authors have agreed to the copyright and licensing terms and have been informed of this policy. JSCL is not responsible for any internal disputes between authors. All communication will be directed solely to the corresponding author.Authors should also be aware that once published, their articles, and any accompanying files, such as datasets or analytical/computational materials, will be publicly accessible. These materials will be governed by the same Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.JSCL allows users to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work under this license. Users must credit the author(s) and JSCL when distributing the work through journals or other publication media. Unless otherwise specified, the author(s) are considered public entities upon publication of the article.
Published by Department of History, Faculty of Humanities, Diponegoro UniversityJl. Prof. Soedarto, S.H. Tembalang, Semarang, Central Java 56025Phone: +6224-74680619; Fax: +6224-74680619Email: jscl@live.undip.ac.id View statistics
