Hans Dokkum

Hans was born in Amsterdam on 21 September 1905. Not much is known about his youth, but one thing must have made a huge impact: his mother, the famous opera singer Cornelia van den Burg, died in 1916. His father, the composer Cees Dokkum (1876-1971) and he developed a strong relationship. When he left for the Dutch Indies end of 1928 they started a long correspondance. In the period 1928-1938 Hans wrote more than 140 letters to his father. These letters have been preserved.

Not much later he was asked to work as an Frese en Hogeweg accountant  for the press agency Aneta, owned by media tycoon D.W. Berretty. Apparently he did a good job and impressed Berretty. In 1931 Berretty asks Hans to become his secretary. On the 15th of November 1931 (see the contract) Hans starts as directie-secretaris for Aneta. In the last years of Berretty’s life Hans becomes a loyal friend and employee. In one of his letters Hans writes about Berretty’s recommendations to him about love (2 January 1934): ” These are the things that surprise me in Berretty. After a weekend a short while ago, I was preparing myself early in the morning  in Lembang (5:30 in the mountains!) just before my flight back by plane, when B. suddenly asked: ” Is there no creature for who you feel something special, not just because she prepares a good dinner, or is a special relation, but because.. well that is so difficult to define”. And because I was hesitating: ” Pick this rose from my garden and take it with you. And learn this from me: you will not come far with feelings of sympathy. Even with a strict routine of sending flowers on occasions, as people use to do. A deep and hidden heart, that only speaks out in sourness doesn’t appeal to many people” Or words to that effect. I picked the rose, but at home I put it in a vase. You have it, or not. What strikes me in B. is especially that what I really miss. Maybe I am just too clumsy.”

When Berretty died in a plane crash, Hans and his friend/colleague, H.P.Salomons, took control over Aneta, Berretty’s press agency. But not for long. In the aftermath of Berretty’s death many people were interested in Aneta and taking control of the news in the Dutch Indies. Tired of all political games Hans and others tried to form a new news agency: Het Vereenigd Persbureau. His efforts were in vain; not much later in 1935, the Dutch government decided to support Aneta. This meant the end of Hans’ career in Aneta. Disappointed and ill he returned to the Netherlands. In this period he tried to find a job in the Netherlands and almost found one as a press officer for Philips.  He did not take it because he already made a promise to H.C. Zentgraaff, director of the newspaper Java Bode, to return to the Dutch Indies and to start working for this newspaper. So, in October 1937, he returned to Java. It was difficult to readjust and only half a year later he got pneumonia. On the 16th of July 1938 he died. He was buried in Batavia (Djakarta). He died only 32 years old.