As stated
on her birth certificate, my wife Isti carries the title “Raden”, for what it’s
worth. Her mother, Raden Johanna Nana belonged to the Boeldansyah family from Bandung
and her father Raden Achmad Memed to the Kartaredja family from Garut; Soendanese (Sundanese) “Raden”, old nobility,
so to say.
Those were the days, when royalty and nobility had a place in Dutch-Indonesian society and the early years of the independent Republic. Decades have since passed and nobly titles such as “Raden” have lost their meaning.
Only in Bandung’s Cibogo area, where the Boeldansyah family graveyard is located, traces of the family’s old status are still found and family members, including my wife, are still greeted by its residents with the utmost respect and to this day addressed as “Raden”.
Our children, however, can no longer carry the title “Raden” as I am a “commoner”. That means no Raden Robert Putra van den Broek, nor Raden Anna Nadhira van den Broek !
Those were the days, when royalty and nobility had a place in Dutch-Indonesian society and the early years of the independent Republic. Decades have since passed and nobly titles such as “Raden” have lost their meaning.
Only in Bandung’s Cibogo area, where the Boeldansyah family graveyard is located, traces of the family’s old status are still found and family members, including my wife, are still greeted by its residents with the utmost respect and to this day addressed as “Raden”.
Our children, however, can no longer carry the title “Raden” as I am a “commoner”. That means no Raden Robert Putra van den Broek, nor Raden Anna Nadhira van den Broek !
Isti's mother, Johanna Boeldansyah (bottom left) with siblings
Isti's grandfather, Otong Boeldansyah and grandmother, Maemoenah, with children and staff
