ABSTRACT
During the 1970s and 1980s Dutch historians of colonialism continued to produce works on the war of decolonization that failed to provide any sustained analysis of actual fighting, creating the impression that the war was fought exclusively by diplomatic means. The work of Jan Bank formed a modest exception. This silence of Dutch historians can be understood by using the metaphor of the guild. The historical guild reinforced and rewarded the virtues of avoiding controversy, speculation and sweeping statements. This systemic unremembering was broken by the work of IJzereef in 1984 and especially by Loe de Jong in the late 1980s. De Jong was forced to endure vehement criticism and legal proceedings. But unremembering was at last being publically contested.
