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Pah Wongso | |
|---|---|
 Pah Wongso in 1938, while raising funds to help China | |
| Born | Louis Victor Wijnhamer 11 February 1904 |
| Died | 13 May 1975 (aged 71) Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Nationality | Indonesian |
| Occupation | Social worker |
Louis Victor Wijnhamer (11 February 1904 – 13 May 1975), better known as Pah Wongso (Chinese: 伯王梭; pinyin: Bó Wángsuō), was an Indo social worker popular within the ethnic Chinese community of the Dutch East Indies, and subsequently Indonesia. Educated in Semarang and Surabaya, Pah Wongso began his social work in the early 1930s, using traditional arts such as wayang golek to promote such causes as monogamy and abstinence. By 1938, he had established a school for the poor, and was raising money for the Red Cross to send aid to China.
In late 1938, Pah Wongso used a legal defense fund, which had been raised for him when he was charged with extortion, in order to establish another school; this was followed by an employment center in 1939. In 1941, Star Film released two productions, Pah Wongso Pendekar Boediman and Pah Wongso Tersangka, starring him and featuring his name in the title. During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Pah Wongso was held in a series of concentration camps in South-East Asia. He was repatriated after the War, and raised funds for the Red Cross and ran an employment office until his death.