Henk Sneevliet - A Life in Documents
- 1907-1912: Social Democracy
- 1913-1917: Indonesia
- 1917-1918: Article Zegepraal on the Russian revolution
- 1920-1921: Eastern orientation of the Comintern
- 1921-1923: Representative for the Comintern in China
- 1924-1940: Return to The Netherlands
- 1940-1942: Resistance
- Personal life
- Sneevliet Commemoration Committee
1920-1921: Eastern orientation of the Comintern
In 1920, Sneevliet represented the Indonesian communists at the Second Congress of the Communist International (Comintern) in Moscow. He was elected secretary of the Commission on National and Colonial Questions and a member of the Executive Committee of the Comintern. Sneevliet became a staunch spokesman for the Eastern orientation of the Comintern in its early years.
On July 26, 1920, Sneevliet held a speech at the 4th meeting of the Second Congress of the Comintern, supporting Lenin's theory and stand on the national and colonial issues while emphasizing that Comintern should be more concerned about issues of revolution in oriental countries. On this picture, taken in the Kremlin, Sneevliet is sitting in the back. Also present are Kamenev and Zinoviev.
Call number BG C4/294 (pdf, 863Kb)
Letter of recommendation for Henk Sneevliet from the Indian Revolutionary Committee of Europe (Bhupendranath Datta, Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, Pandurang Khankhoje, Heramba L. Gupta). With a list of names and addresses in India and Japan. Typed. Berlin, 30-1-1921. On cloth. (English text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 208 (pdf, 3.8Mb)
Picture postcard from Henk Sneevliet to his son Pim (nicknamed 'Rido') in Semarang, Indonesia, sent from Shanghai, 6-6-1921. (Dutch text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 207 (pdf, 762Kb)
Letter from Soebakat, leader Bandoeng branch of the Partai Komunis Indonesia [PKI, Indonesian Communist Party], to Henk Sneevliet, 24-8-1921. Soebakat informed Sneevliet about the revolutionary socialist movement in the Netherlands Indies and expressed his concern about the strength of the movement. (Dutch text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 207 (pdf, 4.2Mb)
Letter from Semaoen to Henk Sneevliet, in which Semaoen called Sneevliet "Mijn goeroe" [My guru], 26-8-1921. Semaoen was a member of the ISDV [Indies Social Democratic Association] and was greatly influenced by Sneevliet's ideas. (Dutch text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 207 (pdf, 1.5Mb)
Authorization given to Henk Sneevliet by Semaoen, Boedisoetjitro, Mohammad Kasan, Hadji Boesro, Kadarisman, Soeradi, H.W. Dekker, P. Bergsma, and Tan Malaka, together forming the boards of the Sarekat Islam in Semarang and the "Partij der Kommunisten in Indië" [PKI, Indonesian Communist Party], to represent these parties. Semarang, 5 September 1921. Typed on cloth. (Dutch text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 210 (pdf, 2.3Mb)
Authorization given to Henk Sneevliet on behalf of the executive committee of the Revolutionaire Vakcentrale [RVC, Revolutionary Trades Union Federation] in the Netherlands Indies (Boedisoetjitro, P. Bergsma, Najoan, T. Malaka, Semaoen, Soekindar, Soegeng) to represent this federation. Typed. Semarang, 5 September 1921. Typed on cloth. Difficult to read, blurred. (Dutch text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 211 (pdf, 2.8Mb)
"Bericht des Genossen Semaoen über die Indonesische Bewegung für die Periode Januar 1922 bis Dezember 1923" [Report by comrade Semaoen on the Indonesian movement during the period January 1922 to December 1923], made for the Comintern and Profintern, and translated by H. Maring, 1923. (German text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 344 (pdf, 6.9Mb)
"The Communist Movement in Indonesia (Dutch East Indies)", draft of an article by Henk Sneevliet, 1924. (English text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 345 (pdf, 1.4Mb)
"Instruktion and den Bevollmächtigten des Ost-Ressorts (Abteilung) der Exekutive der Komintern für die Arbeit in Indonesien" [Instruction to the representative of the East resorts (Department) of the Executive of the Comintern for the activities in Indonesia], drafted by Henk Sneevliet. Undated. (German text)
Originally written on this instruction were the Russian words for "Secret. Project comrade Maring" (translation in English).
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 349 (pdf, 3.6Mb)
Copy of a typed letter from Henk Sneevliet to the Indian communist M.N.R. (M.N. Roy), 10-6-1924. Roy was a member of the Executive Committee of the Comintern and saw the Asian revolution as the key to world revolution. He wanted greater emphasis on the role of the proletariat in the Asian revolutionary movement. (English text)
Henk Sneevliet Papers, inv.no. 362 (pdf, 936Kb)