8 Interesting Facts about Kartini's Letters

Jakarta – Kartini Day, celebrated annually on April 21st in Indonesia, honors the legacy of Raden Adjeng Kartini, a well-known figure in the country's history.

Kartini is famous as a pioneer for women's rights and education in the early 20th century advocating for the empowerment of women in a time when traditional norms often restricted their opportunities.

Kartini's figure cannot be separated from a work entitled Door Duisternis tot Licht or Out of Dark Comes Light which is a collection of letters written by Kartini. It was published in 1911.

It went through five editions, with some additional letters included in the final edition, and was translated into English by Agnes L. Symmers and published under the title Letters of a Javanese Princess.

So, here are several facts about theOut of Dark Comes Light letter by Kartini, as quoted from various sources.

1. Containing the letters of R.A. Kartini

After Kartini's passing, Jacques Abendanon collected and compiled the letters she had sent to her friends in Europe. At that time, Abendanon served as the Minister of Culture, Religion, and Crafts of the Dutch East Indies. 

The book was titled "Door Duisternis tot Licht” which literally means "Out of Dark Comes Light".  This collection of Kartini's letters was published in 1911. The book went through five printings, with the final edition containing additional letters from Kartini.

2. Only containing 87 letters from R.A. Kartini

Kartini's letters were known to have been translated into Javanese and Sundanese. Armijn Pane presented Kartini's letters in a different format from previous books. 

He divided the collection of letters into five discussion chapters. This division was made to demonstrate the stages or changes in Kartini's attitudes and thoughts during her correspondence. 

In this new version, Armijn Pane also reduced the number of Kartini's letters. Only 87 of Kartini's letters are included in Out of Darkness Comes Light.