Editing Multatuli (section)

== Family and education ==

Eduard Douwes Dekker was born in [[Amsterdam]],<ref name=Memory1/> the fourth of five children of a [[Mennonite]] family: the other children were Catharina (1809–1849), Pieter Engel (1812–1861), Jan (1816–1864), and Willem (1823–1840).<ref name=MM-Y/> Their mother, Sietske Eeltjes Klein (sometimes written "Klijn"), was born on [[Ameland]].<ref name="MM-Y" />

Multatuli’s father, Engel Douwes Dekker, worked as a [[sea captain]] from the [[Zaan]] district of [[North Holland]].<ref>Dik van der Meulen (2002): ''Multatuli. Leven en werk van Eduard Douwes Dekker.'' [[Nijmegen]], Sun, {{ISBN|9789058750549}}, pp. 34–36.</ref> Engel inherited the surnames of both his parents, Pieter Douwes and Engeltje Dekker, and Multatuli’s family retained both names.<ref>[http://www.multatuli-museum.nl/multatuli-jeugd "Multatuli, Jeugd"]. Multatuli Museum website.</ref><ref name="De raadselachtige Multatuli">[http://www.willemfrederikhermans.nl/tekst/herm014raad01_01/herm014raad01_01_0003.htm De raadselachtige Multatuli], W.F. Hermans; pagina 17</ref> Multatuli’s elder brother, Jan Douwes Dekker (1816–1864), was the grandfather of [[Ernest Douwes Dekker]], a politician of Dutch-Javanese descent.

As an adolescent, Multatuli attended school in Amsterdam, at the [[Latin school]] located at the [[Singel (Amsterdam)|Singel]]. A precursor of the present day [[Barlaeus Gymnasium]].<ref name="MM-Y" /> His father originally intended for Eduard to become a [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]], though the idea was later abandoned.<ref name="MM-Y" /><ref name="De raadselachtige Multatuli" /> Eduard then worked for a time at a textile firm, as a [[clerk]].<ref>Stuiveling (1985), p. 401.</ref>