 Cover of August 1937 edition | |
| Categories | Literature |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Circulation | Under 150 |
| Founder | Armijn Pane Amir Hamzah Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana |
| Founded | 1933 |
| First issue | July 1933 |
| Final issue | March 1942 |
| Company | Poestaka Rakjat |
| Country | Dutch East Indies |
| Based in | Batavia |
| Language | Indonesian |
| OCLC | 6619356 |
Poedjangga Baroe (pronounced [puˈdʒaŋɡa baˈru]; Perfected spelling: Pujangga Baru, also known by the intermediate spelling Pudjangga Baru) was an Indonesian avant-garde literary magazine published from July 1933 to February 1942. It was founded by Armijn Pane, Amir Hamzah, and Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana.
From the turn of the 20th century, the native people of the Dutch East Indies began to hold a greater degree of nationalism, evidenced in part by the establishment of several nationalist publications. Armijn, Hamzah, and Alisjahbana, three writers from Sumatra, laid the foundation for their magazine in September 1932. They sent letters to forty contributors to the literary section of the newspaper Pandji Poestaka requesting submissions, as well as support from ten sultanates. When a deal with Dutch-owned publishing house Kolff & Co. fell through, the founders agreed to self-publish. The resulting magazine, Poedjangga Baroe, was first published in July 1933. During its publishing run, the magazine took a wider scope and saw greater involvement from politically inclined persons. After the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies in 1942, the magazine ceased publication. Another magazine under the Pudjangga Baru banner was published from 1948 until 1954.
Ideologically, Poedjangga Baroe supported a modern, united nation with one language, Indonesian. However, the different cultural and political views of its contributors led the publication to have undefined leanings. To maintain a neutral political position, the magazine published writings that covered numerous aspects of the political spectrum. In cultural discourse, the magazine published disagreeing polemics over the proper balance of Westernization and tradition necessary for the country's development.
During its nine-year initial publication run, Poedjangga Baroe published ninety issues, including over three hundred pieces of poetry, five plays, three poetry anthologies, a novel, numerous essays, and several short stories. The publication, which never had more than 150 paying subscribers, received mixed responses. Young writers praised it for reflecting the period, while Malay traditionalists decried its perceived corruption of the Malay language. Although most of its published works are now forgotten, the shared themes and styles from 1933 to 1942 have led critics to deem the period the "Poedjangga Baroe generation" of Indonesian literature.