Henry Demmeni was a Colonel and later Major-General in the Dutch East Indies Army who served as Military Governor of Aceh from November 1884 until his death in December 1886.
Establishment of the Concentrated Line
Appointed Governor following the failure of civil administration, Demmeni oversaw the retreat of Dutch forces to a compact defensive perimeter known as the Concentrated Line (Geconcentreerde Linie). He constructed a ring of 16 heavily fortified redoutes around Kota Raja, linked by an armed tramway network (ceintuurbaan) and surrounded by a 1,000-meter cleared zone.
Demmeni repeatedly warned colonial authorities against passive waiting, advocating strict naval blockades along the coast. He died in office in December 1886 due to severe health strain from managing defense operations.
See Also
Source
De expeditiën naar Atjeh 1873-1874, W.W.F. Herfkens, Koninklijke Militaire Academie, 1900, pp. 77-79.