The struggle for independence in Indonesia between 1945 and 1949 has literally and figuratively left its mark. Through images and text the authors take the reader along on their quest through people, objects and places in Indonesia and the Netherlands. This bilingual Indonesian/Dutch book focuses on the personal experiences of civilians and soldiers who experienced the conflict at close quarters. It reflects on how people from both countries look back on that time and how memories of it are kept alive or not. By doing so, the authors restore the human dimension to an intriguing history. What choices did witnesses and contemporaries make at the time, to whom did they remain loyal, and why? How do their experiences live on in the present and what meaning does this period have now, for themselves but also for others for whom this history is important