Vendutie, The Great Dutch Auction
“When Satan wants to deceive, he carefully hides his horns and masks his hooves and tail. … And now there is a really sophisticated system in Deli. It is generally the custom for any inspector who is going to be transferred to another department in the region to hold a vendutie.” Van den Brand (1902).
Vendutie is a public auction. In the Netherland Indies, when a civil servant or officer or someone had to leave or move to another place, they would sell their furniture and household items as it would be too expensive to move them. It is a public event, and one can view the items for sale a day before the vendutie.
Some Dutch officers found it to be a useful way for legitimising incomes.
Mooie Vendutie
P.J. Kooreman was appointed the Resident of the East Coast of Sumatra in 1894. He proved to be a corporate-friendly resident that supported the Deli planters and its coolie ordinance.
At the end of his residency in 1899, a Vendutie was held. The Sultan of Deli also held a big reception for him.
