French Poet Arthur Rimbaud's Java Journey Explored in Semarang Exhibition

French poet Arthur Rimbaud's 19th-century sojourn in Java is the subject of a new exhibition in Semarang, Indonesia. Titled "Arthur Rimbaud: Journey Across Java," the event at Lawang Sewu from August 6-8, 2026, offers a retrospective of the poet's time in the Dutch East Indies.

The exhibition showcases Rimbaud's poetry in both its original French and Indonesian translations. Visitors can also view historical photographs, particularly of train stations, that the poet visited. An infographic guides attendees through the chronology of Rimbaud's arrival in Java and his eventual return to France.

Nina Witasari, a history lecturer at Semarang State University (Unnes), was part of the team that compiled the travelogue. She explained that Rimbaud's presence in Java was as a soldier in the KNIL. "The keyword is KNIL (Royal Dutch East Indies Army). When the word 'KNIL' appears, we can trace it to various sources," Nina stated during the exhibition's opening on Thursday, August 6, 2026.

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The keyword is KNIL (Royal Dutch East Indies Army). When the word 'KNIL' appears, we can trace it to various sources.

Rimbaud, who had stopped writing poetry in 1875, embarked on his travels in 1874, arriving in Batavia at the age of 21. His journey to the Dutch East Indies followed a period of extensive travel in Africa, where he worked as a merchant. According to Nina, Rimbaud enlisted in the KNIL primarily to secure cheaper passage to the Dutch East Indies. After an eight-day training in Batavia, he departed for Semarang on July 30, 1876, accompanied by four other Frenchmen. These KNIL soldiers, drawn from various nationalities, served as mercenaries for the Dutch.

Initially, Rimbaud and 160 other KNIL soldiers were slated for deployment in the Aceh War. However, by the second week of his arrival in Salatiga, the plan changed.

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From Semarang City, he was not alone, but with four other Frenchmen. So the KNIL members came from various countries, but their jobs were the same as Dutch mercenaries.