Jacob Theodoor Cremer

Jacob Theodoor Cremer (born 30 June 1847 in Zwolle – died 14 August 1923 in Amsterdam) was a tobacco magnate and administrator for the Deli Company in Sumatra. He was from the Netherlands. He also became a politician and was a member of the Lower House (1884–1894 and 1901–1905). From 1897 – 1901 he was Minister of Colonies. He was President Dutch Trading Company, Amsterdam (1907–1912).^[1]

Cremer began working the Dutch East Indies for the Dutch Trading Company in Batavia (now Jakarta).^[2]

Cremer bought the Duin and Kruidberg estate in Santpoort and lived in the "House of Columns" in Amsterdam during the winter. He co-initiated of the Coolie Ordinance (1880) which restricted workers from changing employers and allowed corporal punishment. The ordinance was revoked in 1931 after the United States threatened a boycott of Dutch products.^[3]^[4]

He founded the Netherlands Shipbuilding Company, and co-founded the Bouwonderneming Jordan NV, Royal Packet-Society, Dutch Shipbuilding Company and in 1910 the Society Colonial Institute (now Royal Tropical Institute) with Dr. Henri François Rudolf Hubrecht. He authored the first Dutch-Indonesian Mining Law. From 1907 to 1913 he was president of the Nederlandsche Handel-Company. He co-founded the Colonial Institute in Amsterdam in 1910.^[1]

In 1912 he sold his house on the Herengracht to Cornelis Johannes Karel van Aalst, and lived permanently in Santpoort.^{[citation needed]} In 1920 he became a member of the Dutch Senate. Cremer served as ambassador to the United States from van 17 October 1918 until May 1921.^[2]

With his wife during their first stay in the Dutch East Indies (1860)
J.T. Cremer and his wife in a visit to a Karo people village (early 20th century)
Statue of Cremer in front of the office of the Deli Planters Association
Super creepy statue at the Tropical Museum in Amsterdam