Johan Duyfyes was born on June 19th 1906, when his father works in Paramaribo, Suriname, as geologist. He followed in his father footsteps and got geology degree from Delft Engineering University in the Netherland, which also his father alma mater. After graduated on 1931, Duyfjes left Netherland and start to work in the Geology Office of Hindia Dutch.
After 3 years since he joined in the Geology Office, economic depression hit the world. Many of his colleagues in Geology Office have stopped. Then, Hindia Dutch government chooses only to map an advantage location. In the letter to his family in Netherland on 1934 (one of hundreds of letters that he sent during in Hindia Dutch, Duyfjes describe the situation make him frustate at that time:
“Survey programs only run if there are economic benefits. My work in Kendeng region can still run only because we looking for oil fields in this region, there are many ground layers contain fossils which are guides. It still allows me to follow these long layers, even hough i have to sweat, bleed, and not sleep.”
From hundreds locations planned by Oppenoorth, the head of Geology Office at that time, t map, finally only a dozen can be completed and publicated. 4 of them are the contribution by Duyfjes in Hindia Dutch has stopped when World War II happened and Japan invade archipelago. He was arrested by Japan’s soldier and exiled to Tarsao, Thailand. Not long in the prison, in 37 years old, Duyfjes died on August 7th 1943. His body was buried in the burial of war victims in Kanchanabury, Thailand.
Father: Gerard Duyfjes Mother: Elisabeth Hengeveld (1979-1966)
Wife : Leonie Justine Towsend (Married on 1932)
Children: Leonnie Justin Duyfjes (1932), Johan Duyfjes (1933), Gerard Duyfjes (1935)
Source: Museum of Early Human Cluster Ngebung
Translate by Mutiara Solikhah
