Eduard Douwes Dekker, a renowned Dutch writer, was born in 1820 and passed away in 1887. He is famously known by his pen name Multatuli, derived from the Latin phrase "multa tulī", meaning "I have suffered much". Multatuli is celebrated for his satirical novel Max Havelaar, published in 1860, which vehemently criticized the maltreatment of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies, now known as Indonesia.
This literary masterpiece has earned Multatuli the reputation of being one of the Netherlands' most distinguished authors. In 2002, the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde, a prominent Society of Dutch Literature, declared Multatuli the most significant Dutch writer of all time. To honor his legacy, the annual Multatuli Prize, a prestigious Dutch literary award, was established.
Multatuli's semi-autobiographical novel De geschiedenis van Woutertje Pieterse has also gained recognition, with the Woutertje Pieterse Prijs, a literary award, being named after its main character. The writer's influence extends beyond his time, as he is mentioned in Sigmund Freud's list of 'ten good books' compiled in 1907.
Many notable writers across generations have expressed admiration for Multatuli's work, including Karl Marx, Anatole France, Hermann Hesse, Willem Elsschot, Thomas and Heinrich Mann, Johanna van Gogh, and numerous first-wave feminists.
