Hans Christoffel (born 13 September 1865 in Rothenbrunnen; died 3 April 1962 in Antwerp) was a Swiss-born, and from 1906, Dutch mercenary and officer in the Dutch colonial army.[1]
Portrait of Hans Christoffel in the Dutch East Indies, 1907
Raised as the son of a farmer in Rothenbrunnen, Hans Christoffel began his schooling in 1882 at the Bündner Kantonsschule in Chur but did not complete his studies. Some accounts suggest he briefly studied theology at the University of Bologna for one semester before leaving for the Netherlands. In 1884, he traveled via Italy and Germany to Harderwijk in the Netherlands, where he enlisted in the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) in 1886 for a six-year term of service.[2]
After arriving in Java, he was promoted to corporal in 1887 and transferred to the Moluccas as a quartermaster. In 1892, he extended his contract by two years and was transferred to Aceh, where the colonial army had been engaged in a bitter war against local resistance fighters since 1873. In the following years, he was active on the front lines and rose to the rank of second lieutenant. From 1902 onward, he was a member of the Gendarmerie Corps on foot, tasked with anti-guerrilla operations in the Aceh War by Military Governor J. B. van Heutsz.[2]
In 1903, he succeeded in arresting Panglima Polim IX, who commanded the troops of the Sultanate of Aceh against the Dutch, after close family members had been arrested.[1]
During a campaign against the Sultanate of Borneo in 1904, he was involved in brutal military actions that resulted in significant losses among the local population.[2]
Christoffel's military career was marked by controversy. Despite fierce criticism of the violent methods used by his brigade, which he led since 1905 and which became known as the colon matjan (tiger column), he consolidated his position. This unit specialized in long pursuits of resistance groups, employing tactics such as torture, executions, and the abduction of family members. Among others, this unit arrested Cut Nyak Dhien (1848–1908), leader of the Indonesian guerrilla movement and widow of rebel leader Teuku Umar (1854–1899), in 1905.[3]
He led operations in various regions, including Borneo, Sulawesi, and Flores, where he was involved in the killing of prominent resistance leaders. In 1907, his troops, led by him as captain, shot the leader of the Batak resistance, Si Singamangaraja XII, along with his daughter Lopian and his sons Patuan Nagari and Patuan Anggi.[3]
Hans Christoffel and his brigade near Sagala, 1907
In 1906, Christoffel renounced his Swiss citizenship and adopted Dutch nationality. After returning to Europe for health reasons, he married Adolphina Anna Maria Martha van Rijswijck, daughter of the former mayor of Antwerp, Jan van Rijswijck (1852–1906), in 1909; the marriage remained childless. In 1910, he returned to Java but resigned from his position at the end of the year and worked as a concession broker for several years.[4]
Despite his brutal methods, which drew public and military criticism, Hans Christoffel remained protected by his superiors and was honored for his military achievements. He was portrayed as a hero in the press but preferred not to comment publicly on his actions after his term of service. In 1930, he settled permanently in Antwerp. He had donated numerous objects to the local museum in 1922, which he had bought, stolen, or looted during his time in Southeast Asia. His collection is now housed in the Museum aan de Stroom in Antwerp.[4]
Under the influence of his wife, he turned to theosophy and pacifism and lived in Antwerp until his death in 1962.[3]
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Dutch East Indies 
