Waterval (linksboven), Batakdorp met schedelhuis (rechtsboven) en sanatorium (onder) in Bandar-Baroe op Sumatra before 1898

Carl Kleingrothe created this photographic print of Bandar-Baroe on Sumatra. It shows a waterfall, a Batak village, and a sanatorium. This image encapsulates a complex moment in the history of Dutch colonialism. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Dutch expanded their control over the Indonesian archipelago, including Sumatra. This expansion was driven by economic interests, particularly the desire for resources like rubber and tobacco. The sanatorium shown here was used to treat Europeans working on plantations, and was a clear sign of the changing landscape. Kleingrothe's photograph presents a selective view of this reality. The romanticized view of the waterfall and the inclusion of traditional Batak architecture sit uneasily alongside the image of colonial occupation. To truly understand this photograph, we need to look at the colonial archives, missionary records, and, importantly, Batak oral histories, to better understand the cultural and social history of Sumatra during this period.