Thirteen-year-old Maria (centre) was caught in a court battle between her birth mother Adeline Hertogh (right) and her adoptive mother Aminah Mohamed (left).
The Maria Hertogh riots took place more than 70 years ago in Singapore. The circumstances surrounding the riots were complex. This series helps children learn about Maria Hertogh, the court case, the riots, and her life in the Netherlands. It also gives them an idea of what the world was like at that time — colonialism in this region, and about how children have been hurt by discrimination. Revisiting these stories offers fresh lessons that are timely for our world today.
After you have read the articles, try this crossword!
01. One girl, two families: the story of Maria Hertogh
How one of Singapore’s worst riots was triggered by a quarrel between two families for parental custody of a child, Maria Hertogh. This story gives an overview of Maria’s story, the court case, and the riots.
02. Maria in court
Read about the trials in court to understand why they caused riots in Singapore.
03. Photos of Maria tell different stories
People rely on media to tell them the news, but media reports can sometimes confuse the public. The Maria Hertogh story was a classic case in Singapore’s past.
04. Maria at the convent
In 1950, thousands of people took to the streets in Singapore to protest the High Court’s decision about Maria Hertogh. The protests got worse when Maria had to stay in a convent.
05. Caught between the old world and the new
Maria Hertogh was born in Indonesia and grew up in Malaya. The Dutch and British were very much part of her story. She was a child during the last days of European colonialism in Southeast Asia and the new world of independent nations.
06. Maria in the Netherlands
Maria Hertogh’s story is often told only until the point where she is taken by her birth parents to their homeland, the Netherlands. This story tells of Maria’s experience in the Netherlands, after her ordeal in Singapore.
07. A difficult era for children
In Singapore, Maria Hertogh’s story made big news 70 years ago. Yet, Maria was not the only child at that time who suffered because of society’s biases.
08. Children’s welfare in today’s Singapore
If Maria Hertogh were living here today, she might have been spared some of the distress she had experienced in 1950.
09. Different races, same kampung
In 1964, violence broke out in Singapore between the Malays and the Chinese. Dick Yip was then a Secondary Four student studying at Victoria Secondary in Kallang. This is his story of how he saved a neighbour from danger.
10. Love could have won
When award-winning writer Isa Kamari was doing research for his novel about Maria Hertogh, he found out something surprising: Maria’s two mothers had a lot in common. Could their love have prevented the riots?