Cees Fasseur, born in Balikpapan, Indonesia, in 1938. Ph.D. from Leiden University. Professor Emeritus in the History of South East Asia (in particular Indonesia) at Leiden University. († 2016)
Guest of the Rector (1 April 2008 – 30 June 2008)
A PORTRAIT OF A ROYAL MARRIAGE
The story of the faith healer, Miss Margaretha Hofmans, the so-called ‘Rasputin’ of the Dutch Court in the early fifties of the last century, was the subject of my studies at NIAS. Miss Hofmans, who claimed to be in direct contact with God, almost caused a divorce in the marriage of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, the parents of the present head of state of the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix. Hofmans also triggered a constitutional crisis. After the death of Juliana and Bernhard in 2004, I obtained exclusive access to all the relevant documents in the Royal House Archives which have been kept secret until this very moment. As a Guest of the Rector during three months (late March- June 2008) I was able to finish my book by writing the six remaining chapters (out of a total of twelve). I owe this to the excellent academic atmosphere of NIAS and the outstanding facilities and support services, unusual in an academic context, which it offers the fellows. My book, titled Juliana en Berhard. Het verhaal van een huwelijk 1936-1956, was published in November 2008.