Admired and Despised: Life and Work of Snouck Hurgronje

Exhibition Details: Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936) is known as an Islamologist, author of books on Mecca and Aceh. He was an administrator in the Dutch East Indies and advisor for the Dutch colonial government on Islamic issues. After his return he became professor in Leiden and subsequently rector of Leiden University. The title of the exhibition is Admired and Despised: admired for his great knowledge on and passion for Islamic studies, but criticized for his role in the aggression by the colonial powers in Aceh, and his demanding character as a teacher for his students. Wim van den Doel published a biography on Snouck Hurgronje in 2021 which was translated to Bahasa Indonesia in 2023. This photographic exhibition consists of 36 panels that depict 5 stages in the life of Snouck Hurgonje. The exhibition has also been published online in 3 languages by Leiden University Libraries.