Task B Three:

Maria Bertha Hertogh known as Nadra bte Maarof (sometimes spelt Natra) was borned on 24 March 1937 at Tjimahj, Java. She was the main focus of a racial riots in December 1950, which were sparked off by controversy over her custody between by her Malay-Muslim foster mother Aminah and her Dutch-Catholic parents, the Hertoghs. Thus, she had a nickname called Putih which mean ‘’White’’.

She was the third child of seven children that Adeline Hertogh bore. In the World War 2, Maria’s father had been seen as a prisoner-of-war. Without any choice, Adeline had to give Maria to the care of a family friend, Aminah bte Mohammad on 15 Nov 1942. Soewaldi was there to witness it. Aminah was raised as a Muslim at Bandung and was given a name, Nadra bte Maarof. Aminah moved from Jakarta to Bandung where her fluency in Japanese enabled her to work as an interpreter. In 1947, fearing for Maria, Aminah and her fled to Terengganu, Malaya. She grew up at Kemaman, where Aminah was highly regarded. Maria was trained in Koran.

After the war, Maria’s parents began to search for her. They lodged a request with the Dutch officials to locate their daughter. Arthur Locke was the first to alert them of the Maria’s whereabouts. Thus, a custody battle began. Initially, custody of Maria was given to Aminah. Within 4 days, Maria was married off to Mansoor Adabi. The marriage of the juvenile 13-year old Maria was raised in court. On 2 December 1950, custody over Maria was gained by Adeline who whisked her to Amsterdam. On 11 December 1950, riots were sparked off over the custodial ruling, resulting in the death of at least 18 people. Maria married a Dutch cabinet maker, Johan (Joep) Gerardus Wolkenfeld on 20 April 1956 through. However, a 1975 television production on Maria's story stirred up Maria's unhappy memories and led her to tragic actions. Miserable over working at her husband's cafe-cum-bar, the "T Pumpke", from early morning to midnight, she plotted to murder her husband through two friends but the plans were found out and she was brought to court on 16 August 1976. However, after reviewing her tragic past, Maria was acquitted within one day of hearing.

Maria had a grandmother. Her grandmother named Louise Winterberg a.k.a. Nor Louise. A Eurasian of Indo-Dutch parentage. She had left her Scottish husband, Joseph Hunter for an Indonesian opera actor Raden Ismail. She gained fame as a Bangsawan performer and through this became friends with Aminah. Maria’s uncle named Soewaldi, son of Louise Winterberg through Hunter. Converted to Islam. Maria’s father named Adrianus Petrus Hertogh (b. 1905), army sergeant with the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. He is of Dutch origins. He married Adeline Hunter on 23 December 1938. She had two sisters and 3 brothers. Her mother named was Adeline Hunter. On the other side, Aminah bt Mohammad. From a respected Malay family in Kemaman, Terengganu. She married her first husband, Abdul Rani (a.k.a Abdul Ghani) who had been the private secretary to the Sultan of Terengganu in 1919. Abdul Rani, was the cousin to Datuk Bukit Gantang who became Mentri Besar or "Chief Minister" of Perak after the war. She accompanied her husband to Tokyo where he taught Malay language for almost 11 years. They mastered Japanese and adopted a Japanese girl whom they named Kamariah.Father: Maarof bin Haji Abdul, a jeweller from Bandung, whom Aminah married in the mid-1930s after Abdul Rani had passed away.

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August 2008
September 2008