“Turun di Ikaf ko?”

Aktifitas dalam sebuah pabrik daging kalengan di Kupang sekitar tahun 1950-an. (Sumber: Tanah Air Kita: a Pictorial Introduction to Indonesia.)

Pernahkah anda mendengar orang menyebut nama sebuah tempat di Kota Kupang dengan “Ikaf”? Memang sekarang sudah sangat jarang orang menyebut tempat itu dengan nama Ikaf. Di mana sebenarnya tempat itu dan mengapa dinamai demikian? 

Tempat itu sebenarnya hanya berjarak beberapa meter dari perempatan dekat kantor Polda NTT yang sering disebut sebagai perempatan Komdak menunjuk kepada nama lama dari institusi kepolisian “Komando Militer Daerah Kepolisian”. Beberapa meter dari arah Komdak ke arah Airnona anda akan melihat sebuah rumah mewah yang berdiri di antara Kantor Penggadaian dan sebuah lapangan volleyball. Di tempat di mana rumah mewah dan lapangan volloeyball berdiri itulah pernah berdiri sebuah pabrik yang disebut ICAFF singkatan dari Indonesia Canning and Freezing Factory.  

Itulah sebabnya setiap penumpang angkot yang hendak turun di pertigaan ke arah SMP/SMA (Sekarang SMP Lentera) biasa mengatakan kepada sopir angkot: “turun di Ikaf e”. Permintaan ini biasanya dilakukan oleh orang-orang tua yang pernah mengetahui akan parbrik itu. Seingat saya, gedung tua dari pabrik itu masih berdiri sekitar tahun 1980-an semasa saya di bangku SMP. Waktu itu, gedungnya sudah sangat tidak terawat. Seingat saya, dinding-dinding bagian luarnya ditempeli dengan seng. Pernah juga dipakai sebagai gedung sebuah sekolah swasta, namun kemudian dirobohkan.  

Menurut penulis Peter Apollonius Rohi, Icaff itu kebanggaan orang Kupang tahun 1950-an. Pemegang sahamnya kebanyakan pedagang besar di Kupang dan raja-raja serta para pemimpin pergerakan. Gedung pabrik itu didirikan di atas tanah raja Kupang, Don Alfonsus Nisnoni.  

"Ini memang cita-cita para pemimpin pergerakan. Makanya sebagian pemegang saham adalah para anggota koperasi Timor Verbond yug berfusi dengan Partai Indonesia Raya (Parindra) di Surabaya," kata anggota marinir yang memutuskan untuk menjadi wartawan ini. 

"Partai ini diketuai langsung oleh Dr Soetomo. Para pedagang yang bergabung dalam Icaff antara lain Lie Tie Pau, eksportir ternak terbesar di Kupang, Umar Bakhtiar, para raja-raja dan pegawai kerajaan, serta para pemimpin pergerakan. Papa saya dulu menyimpan buku yang berisi daftar nama-nama para pemegang saham Icaff".

Menurut Peter di sekitar tempat berdirinya pabrik tersebut tinggal beberapa keluarga antara lain keluarga Neppa, keluarga Bano, dan keluarga Rona. Di belakang pabrik itu tinggal adik Peter, tepatnya di sebelah barat rumah "pak Daulima, Direktur SGB". Di dekat pabrik itu juga tinggal pak Dillak, direktur SMP Kristen. Di sebelah rumah keluarga Dillak adalah rumah Ang Hoo Lang, seorang China yang menurut Peter sangat berjasa dalam sejarah pergerakan nasional. Dari beberapa keluarga ini, setahu saya yang masih berdiri di tempatnya adalah rumah keluarga Dillak.

Leopold Nisnoni menegaskan hubungan antara keluarga Nisnoni dengan perusahaan ini dalam wawancaranya dengan Steve Farram pada 17-19 Novemver 2002 (From 'Timor Koepang' to 'Timor NTT': A Political History of West Timor 1901-1967). Farram menulis:

"Leopold Nisnoni, the son of Raja Kupang, managed two major enterprises in Kupang, a printery and a canning factory, and later went into business." (341-42). 

Namun harus ditelusuri lebih jauh kepastian kepemilikan saham dalam perusahaan tersebut mempertimbangkan informasi yang diberikan Peter Rohi bahwa kepemilikan perusahaan itu mempunyai hubungan dengan agenda politik pada waktu itu dan bahwa kepemilikannya bukan oleh pihak keluarga Nisnoni semata.

Menurut I.H. Doko dalam bukunya Timor, Pulau Gunung Fatuleu (Balai Pustaka, 1982, hal. 44-45), pabrik pengolahan daging dalam kaleng ini didirikan tahun 1952. Pada waktu berproduksi perusahaan ini membutuhkan 16-20 ekor sapi sehari. Kesulitan transportasi dan harga tin plate (bahan baku untuk kaleng) yang tinggi membuat pabrik ini berhenti berproduksi. Tahun 1963 sudah tidak berproduksi lagi. 

Sebagian besar notes ini telah saya tulis sebagai draft sekitar tahun 2006 namun beberapa hari lalu seorang teman saya berkunjung ke rumah sebuah keluarga Belanda. Di sana ia diberikan sebuah buku fotografi tentang Indonesia berjudul “Tanah Air Kita: A pictorial introduction to Indonesia." Teman saya ini memilih buku ini untuk saya karena dia tahu saya sangat berminat tentang sejarah Timor. Buku yang tidak mencantumkan nama penulis dan tahun penerbitan itu diterbitkan oleh penerbit W. Van Hoeve N.V. The Hegue dan Bandung.  Pada halaman 196 terdapat sebuah foto dengan caption: Picture of a meat canning factory at Kupang, also called Timor Kupang. Sudah sejak lama saya ingin mengoleksi foto-foto bersejarah kota Kupang dan rupanya saya telah menemukan salah satu diantaranya. Selamat menikmati.

Leiden, 27 Desember 2012.

History of the forts of eastern Indonesia

One might reasonably ask what spices, especially cloves and nutmeg, have to do with forts and fortresses?

The main reason Europeans sailed to Asia was to control trade routes and spice-producing regions.

Many efforts were made to break the monopoly in the spice trade held by traders from India, China and the Middle East; the breakthrough came when Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama reached India in 1499 via Cape of Good Hope, opening the route to Asia.

Before long, the Portuguese had moved in, occupying Malacca and the Malay Peninsula in 1511.

After a secret Portuguese expedition by Antonio d’Abreu and Francisco Serrao to the Maluku Islands in the early 16th century, the Spanish adventurer Ferdinand Magellan followed in 1522 and Englishman Francis Drake in 1579. The Maluku Islands were now open to Europeans.

Under the Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494, which divided the world outside Europe between Spain and Portugal along a north–south meridian 370 leagues west of Cape Verde islands, the Maluku Islands were divided into two.

This was revised by the Treaty of Saragossa, signed in 1592, under which the Maluku Islands fell into Portugal’s hands, hence the strong Portuguese influence in the Maluku Islands during the 16th century.

But if the 16th century was the Portuguese era, the first half of the 17th century belonged to the Dutch, with the Dutch East India Company (the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) and colonial government), with some bits of British influence in several places.

In every strategic place, the Dutch built posts and forts to control trading routes and protect themselves. Such fortifications could be the whole city or part of the city center.

Many of these fortifications are replicas of original buildings in Europe. Generally, they consisted of the main fort, surrounded by small forts or redoubts, which were used as the watch towers.

During the Pacific War, Papua and the Maluku Islands became a strategic area both for the Japanese and for Allied forces. Japan needed the region to hold off any incursion from the east and south, while the Allied forces needed the region to launch an assault on the Japanese forces, which then occupied everywhere from the Philippines to Tokyo.

The Japanese forces built pillboxes along the coastline as their outer defense line, while using natural and built cages inland to stop the advance of the Allied forces.--Matheos V. Messakh

The battle to defend military history

Matheos Viktor Messakh

The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Perhaps because most of them were built during the colonial era, they have never really been regarded as part of our history.

For thousands of years, humans have been building fortifications, as military constructions designed for defense during war, in a variety of complex designs.

Although many of the fortifications in Indonesia were built before colonialism, a great deal more were built during it, meaning they were neglected after the nation won its independence.

Now, a new effort to preserve these historical defense structures is underway, with researchers assessing traditional and colonial fortifications around the country in a bid to preserve the structures and raise community awareness about their historical importance.

The project, run by the Center for Architecture Documentation (PDA) and its Dutch counterpart Passchier Architects and Cultural (PAC), under the auspices of the HGIS Cultural Funding of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Culture and Tourism Ministry, began two years ago.

PAC is responsible for reviewing archives in the Netherlands, and the PDA is responsible for field surveys and reviewing archives in Indonesia.

“Fortifications should not be regarded only as a colonial inheritance,” executive director of the Indonesian Heritage Trust (BPPI) Catrini Kobontubuh told The Jakarta Post recently. “They are part of our history. Preserving them means we have preserved a source of knowledge for future generations.”

Catrini said the BPPI had been fully supporting the project since its launch in June 2007 because it was a rare initiative for Indonesia.

“Among the more than 200 forts registered at the Culture and Tourism Ministry, only seven have legal status as heritage buildings,” said Catrini.

The goal of the project is to produce a comprehensive database of fortifications to support government policy in the preservation of these heritage structures.

Archival research and field surveys have been conducted in various parts of the country to identify the types of fortification, their existing condition, common damage and development opportunities or risks, given the forts’ individual characteristics.

“We know that we have many historical buildings such as forts, but we don’t really know where they are or what condition they are in. Many have been neglected,” said PDA executive director Nadia Purwestry.

The research began with an initial list of 279 forts provided by the Culture and Tourism Ministry; of these, only 16 have been restored.

Information since gathered about these forts includes architectural facts and description, photos and videos detailing their current condition, data on the surrounding environment, GPS data on their position and accessibility, and information from local people.

The project is designed in three stages, each running for 12 months to review a different part of the country.

The first stage, from July 2007 to June 2008, identified fortifications in Maluku, North Maluku, West Papua and Papua.

The second stage, to identify fortifications in Java and Sumatra, began in July 2008 and will finish in June 2009. The third stage, from June 2009 to July 2010, will identify fortifications in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Bali.

Top priority are fortifications from the colonial era, such as stockades, blockhouses, land batteries, small forts, redoubts, hybrid fortifications or renaissance fortifications, and city walls.

Next are bunkers and forts from during World War II, followed by prehistoric fortifications, stockades (fences) and traditional fortifications.

The team reports surprising findings from the first stage, not least that there were more forts than the number documented by the directorate general of history and archaeology at the ministry.

For the eastern part of Indonesia, the team has found 141 fortifications. In Java and Sumatra alone, the team has already identified 180 fortifications.

More than 70 percent or 104 fortifications identified in eastern Indonesia are colonial structures built around the 17th century; 14 are traditional fortifications and 23 are defense structures for World War II.

Among the colonial fortifications in a relatively good condition are the 17th-century Nieuw Victoria Castle in Ambon, Orange Castle in Ternate, Star Fort Belgica in Neira island in Banda Islands. These three are regarded as the main Dutch fortresses.

Others are the Amsterdam blockhouse built in Hila in Ambon in 1637; the San Jao or San Pedro redoubt built in Ternate in 1530, which is now known as Kota Janji; Tolukko castle, built by Portuguese general Francisco Serao in 1540; and the Batavia land battery and Colombo land battery built around the end of 18th century by then governor Francois Boekholtz at Gunung Api island.

“There are still many unidentified,” said Nadia Purwestry, adding that less historical information was available for fortifications in the western part of Indonesia than for those in the east.

Most of the fortifications in the eastern parts of Indonesia have been left to fall into poor condition. Only 23 of the 104 colonial fortifications are in a relatively complete state, 20 are in ruins, 23 are mere remnants, eight have been destroyed; 30 have not yet been assessed.

“Fortifications never come to our attention,” said Sudarmadji Damais, former head of the Jakarta History Museum. “Many of them, especially traditional fortifications, have disappeared, so this survey would be perfect if it was combined with an archaeological survey.”

He said many traditional fortifications had disappeared quickly because they were not made from stone or cement like colonial fortifications.

Of the 14 traditional fortifications identified, only two are in a relatively complete condition, one is in ruins, four are mere remnants, three destroyed; the other four have not been surveyed.

One of the traditional fortifications identified is Kapahaha hill fort built in 1646 by the people of Hitu in Ambon as a defense against the Dutch. Although it has fallen into a state of ruin, it can still be identified.

Most of the 23 World War II fortifications, mostly Japanese bunkers, are in good condition, with only three in ruins. However, very little information about them is available.

“We are relying on only two books about Japanese defense during the second World War,” said Purwestry.

Among these 20th-century fortifications are Japanese bunkers in Passo and Air Salobar, Ambon, military pillboxes along the coast line of Ambon beaches and Buru Island, as well as Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s station in Sentani, Papua.

The researchers hope that the comprehensive database being compiled will prove valuable for all conservation efforts and for finding ways to use the structures in the future.

With its detailed information on the sociocultural and economic aspects of the forts and their surrounding areas, the survey is also intended to stimulate public awareness, engaging local communities in conservation efforts.

At the end of the documentation process, a small exhibition and public seminar will be held in combination with the publication of a catalogue book. The findings will also be published on the Internet.

“This is only an initial step for preservation,” said Purwestry. “We hope that the result of this survey will become the basis for government decisions on preserving these historic structures.”

Mining the world's musical riches

Matheos Viktor Messakh , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 03/31/2009 3:23 PM | Features

On the move: Musicians practice during a rehearsal session of the Rhythm Salad Music Clinic held at the National Gallery Jakarta in 2008. Eighteen people from various musical backgrounds, both traditional and modern, gathered for a few days to find new possibilities for musical practice. (Courtesy of The Sacred Bridge Foundation)

In a world stuck in a musical rut, the rich traditions of Asia - especially Indonesia - could provide fresh ideas, with one group of musical experts setting out to make that happen.

Ethnomusicologist Franki Raden, who has spent more than 16 years studying and teaching world music both in Indonesia and abroad, says the world is waiting for a feed from Asia, especially from Indonesia, as artists in North America and Europe stagnate, regurgitating similar ideas in their work.

"Indonesia should make a larger contribution to world art and cultural heritage," Franki said.

He points out that Indonesian artists and musicians rarely come up with new work based on the country's tradition heritage, and that any such work rarely attracts international attention.

Only a few artists now in Europe or North America have been able to produce relatively new, interesting and original ideas and work, he said, adding that critics who have recognized and spoken out about this stagnation tend to be alienated by the larger community, "especially in Europe, with its old establishment, *where* new ideas are not easily accepted."

Indonesia, he said, should stand up and be heard on this point. "We should come up with something original but which has a global impact."

But this issue, he added, is too complicated and too big in scope to be managed by a few concerned parties.

"It is impossible to let it become the concern of a few countries or people only. We need collaboration between people who realize the importance of reformation in the musical world."

The concern about the lack of innovation in music, said Franki, began sporadically in the 1970s, but getting people together to come up with a solution was not easy.

But neither is it impossible.

Involving children: Children learn Saman, a traditional Acehnese dance, during an event for the cultural and psychological healing of tsunami survivors at an art center in Gampong Pande in Kuta Raja, Banda Aceh. The program, called “Rising Above the Tsunami”, was held by the Sacred Bridge Foundation in 2006. (Courtesy of The Sacred Bridge Foundation)

The Sacred Bridge Foundation, which Franki established in 1998, is setting out to address the issue by holding a workshop and musical clinic with the aim of providing directives for musicians of the 21st century.

"Gaung: 21st Century Global Music Education", to be held at the Bali Classic Center in Ubud from April 23 to May 2, will bring together internationally renowned experts in music and music-related sciences and technologies.

During the 10-day program, the experts will share and discuss their work, visions and experiences, ranging across topics such as musical and spiritual practice, acoustic science and technology, and creative musical thinking.

Among the facilitators and gurus involved in the workshop are percussionist/composer Stomu Yamash'ta, French composer Jean Claude Eloy, acoustician and scientist Yoshio Yamasaki, jazz-rock pioneer Larry Coryell, Zen Buddhist monk Yamada Sosho, Sufi maestro Marzuki Hasan and Kejawen spiritual guru Sumarah.

Franki Raden said the workshop and the clinic would focus on music, but approach it from the perspective of multiple disciplines, such as "the science of music, performance of music, the business side or cultural economics of music and even the ritualistic side of music."

"We are trying to combine the very advanced side, which is science, and the spiritual side of music," he said. "As far as I know, this is something very new."

Training ground: Musicians practice during a rehearsal session of the Rhythm Salad Music Clinic held at the National Gallery Jakarta last year. (Courtesy of The Sacred Bridge Foundation)

As well as classroom sessions, field work and self-exploration, the musicians will rehearse for concerts to be held. The concerts will be performed by different groups of participants as a means of exploring new combinations, based on technical capability, musical orientation and interest.

The performances will be presented as works in progress, with live audiences invited to provide direct feedback.

Ubud in Gianyar was chosen as the venue because of Bali's long contribution to the development of modern music, starting with performances at Europe's 1931 World Exhibition - most of the musicians who participated in the exhibition came from Ubud.

Franki said that many foreign artists who drew on Indonesia's musical heritage or collaborated with local artists produced phenomenal work although "some did not even mention Indonesia as the source of their work", he added.

One such internationally acclaimed work is Robert Wilson's visionary piece I La Galigo, a dramatic work inspired by an epic poem of the Bugis people of South Sulawesi.

I La Galigo has been performed in famous theaters around the world, from its world premiere at Theatres on the Bay in Singapore in March 2004 to its last production at the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan, Italy, in February 2008.

It was also performed at Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, Teatro Espa*ol in Madrid, Les Nuits de Fourviere Rhone France in Lyon, the Teatro Alighieri in Ravenna, Italy, NY State Theater in New York, Teater Tanah Airku in Jakarta and Melbourne's State Theatre.

I La Galigo features a cast of 50 Indonesian performers, with the music researched and composed by Indonesian Rahayu Supanggah. The project was by a team of scholars, from Sulawesi and abroad, who advised on the development of the epic for the theater.

"So far, the people who have drawn on Indonesian heritage have not been Indonesian," said Franki. "This is because we don't see ourselves from the outside so we never know what our position is."

No one can predict the final output of the workshop and clinic, said Franki, but it is expected to alter participants' perspectives and deliver new ways of performing music, or even a new instrument.

"It doesn't have to be a mainstream at all. What is considered mainstream now might have been alternative once," he said. "We are initiating a new thing so we do not expect it to be popular straightaway."

AMONG THOSE AT THE WORKSHOP

Stomu Yamash'ta will speak on musical synthesis, including about the spiritual, scientific and technological foundations of music.

During his career, Stomu has experimented with various musical genres including rock, jazz, avant-garde experimental and world music. In the 1970s, he founded a super group called "Go" in Europe; the other members were Al Di Meola, Klaus Schultz, Michel Reeve and Steve Winwood. In the 1980s, he developed a stone-chime orchestra called Sanukit. Since then, he has devoted his life to practicing Zen Buddhism.

Composer Jean Claude Eloy will speak on possible directions for music in the 21st century in the context of East-West cultural encounters. In the 1970s, Eloy co-founded an electronic music studio called Xemamu. Much of his work has been inspired by Asian philosophy and culture, and his orchestral pieces have been performed extensively in Europe and beyond.

Yoshio Yamasaki will be speaking on the development of music and technology, as well as new and future directions in music

Yamasaki is known as the inventor of the 16 and 1 bit digital portable recorder. A professor in physics at the Global Information and Technology Institute at Waseda University in Japan, he has been active in research in the field of music and acoustics.

Long, strange trip for one old building

Matheos Viktor Messakh , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 07/15/2008 10:36 AM | City

ANTIQUE ELEGANCE: The National Archive Building, which was once the country house of the Dutch governor general Reinier de Klerk, is located outside the old city of Batavia. (JP/P.J. Leo)

From the country house of a Dutch governor general to an orphanage and then to a mere office building to later an archive building, the National Archive Building is struggling to retain its value as one of the nation's heritage buildings.

As has happened to many historical sites in Jakarta, the building has been lost to new development, particularly to high-rise buildings.

Traveling along the busy Jl. Gajah Mada toward the Kota area, we can see the beautiful building to the left. The building, along with other buildings, earned the title of Batavia, or "Queen of the East".

The house was built in 1760 by Reinier de Klerk, a member of the Dutch highest council, Raad van Indie, or the Council of the Indies. Reinier was later appointed as Dutch governor general in 1777. He lived and held office here until he died in 1780.

Many houses in the area at that time were called buitenverblijven, or "house outside", because they were built on a rural area outside the old city of Batavia.

Built as the house of a high rank citizen during colonial time, the house occupied an enormous plot of land extending much further than the current 9,450-square-meter complex.

Baroque fanlight above the main entrance was carved with a symbol of hope. (JP/Matheos V. Messakh)

The structure comprises of a main building, two separated pavilions on the left and right sides and a U-shaped annex building at the back of the main building.

The main house is a model of closed Dutch style, so called because it has no open gallery at the front or rear.

"As an 18th century building, it doesn't have any veranda surrounding it," National Archive Building Foundation director Tamalia Alisjahbana told The Jakarta Post recently.

"If you look at a 19th century building, for example Museum 45 or Gedong Juang, they have big verandas, open doors and windows."

Tamalia said that gradual change in the style of architecture of houses in Batavia was because of the attempt to adapt to the climate and the increasing control of the Dutch against the local rulers.

Batavia was just a small city back then. Around the city was a big city wall surrounded by a moat. This wall and moat is a defense against Banten in the west and Mataram in the east.

"We can trace the change of the style in its sister building, Toko Merah (Red Shop) on Jl. Kali Besar Barat, which is 30 years older," Tamalia said .

A dinning room setting upstairs in the main building, with an original painting portrait of De Klerk in the background. (JP/MVM)

"Because there was little land available, houses built in the 17th and early 18th century were like Amsterdam's town-houses. That is what Toko Merah is like."

"Thirty years later, the Dutch drained the swamp land in the north and created all these canals. This change brought in lots of mosquitoes causing malaria and other diseases, and Batavia became very unhealthy."

Tamalia said that around the same time, the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) or Dutch East India Company subjugated Banten and Mataram kingdoms so it was safe for the Dutch to come outside.

"Some rich people like de Klerk built their houses outside the city wall," she said.

To a certain degree the house is adapted to the tropics, with its high ceilings and long and broad windows, large open fanlights above the doors, a cool stone floor, and a high, well insulated roof.

"The Dutch also realized that Batavia was hot, so they started to build buildings with open windows and doors. With the archive building you can see the change in 18th century and in 19th century you can see the neoclassical style with veranda all around, much cooler, everything was open," Tamalia said.

With its big protruding roof, the two-story building looks more like a town house in a big garden than a country house.

Flower pot carvings on the staircase. (JP/MVM)

The flat front shows sparse ornamental work. Seven big windows on the second floor and three windows on each side of the broad double-wing entrance stress the overall symmetrical proportions. The six windows downstairs show simple ornaments over the skylights.

The main door is flanked by red pilasters with gold-painted grooves and renaissance capitals supporting a carved top beam. In its carved fanlight we can see an allegorical figure of hope: A woman under a big umbrella holds a anchor.

She is placed amidst leaves and waves. The surrounding waves, sea flowers and plants point to the humble beginnings of de Klerk's career as a naval officer.

Another door inside the main hall shows the symbol of faith.

Matched by its interior design, the outside of the house shows a distinctive impression. The allegorical carvings of the fanlights over the main doors provide subdued light to the cool inner rooms.

In general the carvings look rather baroque, but the dark red and gold paint as well as the execution of some ornaments suggests a strong Chinese influence.

"It is a kind of renaissance style with baroque features," said Tamalia, explaining the architecture style with its carving of the mid-18th century colonial mansion.

On the walls of the main hall, there are a few rows of Dutch tiles with scenes from the Bible.

Dutch tiles depicting scenes from the Bible are believed to have been made in China after models from Delft. Some missing tiles were transferred to the National Museum in 1900 and were replaced by replicas in 1998. (JP/MVM)

The house has four entrances, and in the room to the left of the main entrance hall is a fine staircase leading to the second floor. The upstairs was used exclusively as private apartments for the family.

Beside being a house, the building also served as an office. De Klerk also pursued his own business even though it was forbidden for an official.

The six rooms on the first floor are believed to have been used as for meetings and offices.

The rooms on the right were assigned to tuan besar, or the master of the house, while rooms on the left were assigned to nyonya besar, or the lady of the house.

Many fine pieces of antique furniture on the ground and the second floor help retain the ambience of the 18th century in these rooms. The current furniture, however, are not part of the original furnishing of the house being sold by the heirs of the late proprietors.

More than 111 pieces of furniture, such as cupboards, bookcases, tables, settees, chairs and chests of different styles, dating from different periods and also made in several different places, can be seen in the main building.

You can find, for example, a shelf wall hanging probably made in Sri Lanka between 1602-1795, a Dutch style baby chair probably made in 1880 in Holland with mahogany from Cuba, and a Madura-Biedenmeyer style of twin chair probably made in Madura in late 19th century.

One of the twin Madura Biedenmeyer chairs at the archive building. According to antique expert Jan Veenendaal, these chairs were probably made in Madura in the late 19th century and are influenced by the English Biedermeyer style. (JP/MVM)

Most of these furniture were donated by Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen or the Batavia Society for Art and Science to the Landsarchief van Nederlandsch-Indie or the Dutch Indies State Archive in 1925 after the first major renovation.

This society, founded in Batavia in April 24, 1778 by some Dutch intellectuals, including de Klerk, also donated its collection of furnitures to two other institutions which later became the National Museum and the Jakarta History Museum.

Tamalia said the collection had increased in the last ten years. The collection includes 38 antique maps dating back to the 16th century, and a number of paintings and drawings. Some of these maps and drawings were donated by their artists.

Last year the three museum invited Jan Veenendaal, an expert in Dutch colonial furniture, to identify their furniture collections. Coming to Jakarta with his own expense, Veenendaal identified the style, the materials, the period of production, and the place of production of these furniture.

"None of us really have a good index or inventory about the antique collection in these museums," Tamalia said .

"But now we have all the information and the three museums are now working on completing their inventory."

On the grounds of the house, we find separate pavilions for guest on each side of the main building. One of these pavilions is now used as a museum shop.

Next to the pavilions are spacious bijgebouwen, or annexes, which were used as a kitchen and storerooms. The two gables of the annex buildings are similar to those very common of the Cape Town, South Africa, once ruled from Batavia.

A replica of a slave bell, once used in the house. The original bell was cast in Batavia in 1772 by Johannes Borchhard and is now kept in the Werkspoor Museum in Amsterdam. (JP/MVM)

In the courtyard there are two old cannons and a replica of a slave bell. The original bell was used to announce works and meals hours as well as unusual happenings.

This replica was cast in Beerta, the Netherlands in 1999 by Klokken-en Kunstgieterij Reiderland. The original bell was cast in Batavia in 1772 by Johannes Borchhard and is now kept in the Werkspoor Museum in Amsterdam.

Between 1926 and 1979 the building served as the archives and afterwards its condition deteriorated until its total restoration in 1997/1998.

The Jakarta provincial administration designated the building as one of heritage buildings on March 29, 1993 and followed by the then Education and Culture Ministry on June 16, 1998.

The National Archive Building Foundation managed the building after the 1998 renovation.

Four years later, UNESCO awarded the building the first prize in Cultural Heritage Award for the Asia Pacific region.

However, with no donation from the government and no entrance fee, the foundation mostly earned its income by renting the building out for exhibitions, weddings, seminars, product launches, fashion shows and parties as well as from the selling of books and souvenirs of its museum shop.

A home truth about the house of a Dutch governor-general

Tue, 07/15/2008 10:36 AM | City

(JP/Matheos Viktor Messakh)

The house of Reinier de Klerk has its own history that might explain why it is the only buitenverblijen, or 'houses outside' the city, left on Jl. Gajah Mada and Jl. Hayam Wuruk.

For a long time during the 18th century, the two roads were the elite quarters of Batavia. They were later replaced by Weltevreden, the area around the present Lapangan Banteng and Medan Merdeka.

De Klerk lived in the house for nearly 20 years before dying there in 1780 as a governor general.

According to Adolf Heuken SJ in his book Historical Sites of Jakarta (Cipta Loka Caraka, 2000), de Klerk's very rich wife Sophia Francina Westpalm supported him throughout much of his career.

The mansion's upstairs is richly furnished with VOC period furniture. (JP/Matheos V. Messakh)

When Sophia married de Klerk in 1754, she was already the widow of a former Council of the Indies member. Her son from her earlier marriage, Francois R. Radermacher, inherited de Klerk's mansion.

In 1786 Radermacher, the son the Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences founder, sold the property to another Council of the Indies member, John Siberg. The house's second owner eventually became governor general between 1801 and 1805, and stayed in the house during the entire French and English period (1808-1816).

After Siberg's death in 1817, the house was auctioned off by his widow and sold the following year, this time to Iehoede Leip Iegiel Igel, a Polish Jew who once served as a low-ranked guard to the house.

The story goes that on a hot day Igel fell asleep while guarding the entrance. When the governor general unexpectedly returned, he was given fifty strokes for his laziness. On that same day, he swore that he would own the premises one day.

(JP/Matheos Viktor Messakh)

After finishing his military service Igel changed his name to Leendert Miero and started work as a goldsmith. He could neither read nor write, yet he made a fortune and bought the Pondok Gede estate.

In 1819 he acquired de Klerk's house and for the next fifteen years invited big crowds to celebrate the anniversary of his lashing day. Igel or Miero had no children from his two legal wives, but adopted his four natural children born to him by four different slaves.

The house was inhabited by Miero's heirs until it was sold again in 1844 to the College of Deacons at the Dutch Reformed Church. When used as an orphanage (until 1900), it suffered several alterations. But after it was sold to the government in 1901, the Greek-style chapel attached to its front was torn down in order to restore the original fa*ade.

For the next 25 years, it served as the office of the Mining Department with little attention being paid to its historic value.

There have been so many wonderful stories written about the events that happened in the mansion.

A box which was used as food container. (JP/Matheos V. Messakh)

It is said that in the simple houses behind de Klerk's mansion more than a hundred slaves lived and worked. Sixteen among them formed a band of musicians and entertained their master and his guests at night.

More than 50 slaves were emancipated and given some money to start their freedom, under the last will of Sophia in 1785. Others bought their emancipation.

The rest, roughly 100 slaves were auctioned off together with their wives and children. This auction took place on Jan. 28, 1786 in front of de Klerk's house.

In 1925 the house was thoroughly restored. Again it shined in its old splendor with its garden landscaped once more. It was used as office of the Landsarchief (State Archive).

The door on the right side of the main building. High ceilings, long and broad windows marked the change in Batavia's architecture style in 18th century after the Dutch conquered the local rulers. (JP/MVM)

The institution was relocated in 1974 to Jl. Ampera Selatan in South Jakarta because humidity was creeping up and into the walls. After the transfer was completed in 1979, the house was no longer used by the national archives body.

The condition of the mid-18th century colonial mansion deteriorated. The paint peeled off and many carvings, doors, and windows split apart. The walls became wet because rain water could not flow into the canal in front of the house.

"The building was in a bad condition. There was half a meter of flooding every rainy season. Many parts of the building were dilapidated," said Tamalia Alisjahbana, executive director of the National Archive Building .

In 1995, some Dutch companies doing business in Jakarta collected money as a gift for the 50th anniversary of Indonesian Independence with the intention of restoring the mansion.

A memorandum was signed during the visit of Queen Beatrix, who gave a reception in this building, but for years no realistic proposals were made by Arsip Nasional.

In order to prevent further damage, the house underwent a thorough restoration from 1997 to 1998. The restoration was done to the highest standard using modern techniques after a careful study of the condition of the building, the problem of drainage and of all old paintings and photos.

An embedded strongbox in the offices of Tuan Besar. (JP/Matheos V. Messakh)

On Nov. 1, 1998, the 1,270-square-meter mansion again regained its splendor.

"The building is believed to have a very good

"They wanted to tear it down in 1900, but it was saved by the Batavian Society. In 1998, they wanted to burn it down, but it was saved because we were completing the restorations.

"There are so many people coming here telling us that the building has a very good vibration, bringing good luck." --JP/Matheos V. Messakh

Dutch cemetery rich with Jakarta history

Just inside the gates, visitors are greeted by romantic angels, Gothic turrets, sleeping children, marble crosses and heavy tombstones with baroque coats-of-arms, bringing to mind ancient cemeteries in Europe.

But don't expect to find lines of votive candles to remind us the dead still have living relatives who care.

This is an old Dutch cemetery located on Jl. Tanah Abang I in Central Jakarta.

The cemetery was officially opened Sept. 28, 1797, but people were first buried here as early as 1795.

On entering the cemetery, through a Parthenon-like portico (built in 1844), visitors get a rare glimpse of a bygone section of Jakarta's historic populace -- albeit in a neglected state.

Inside the portico is a bronze death knell with an atmosphere of mourning in times gone by.

Bodies of prominent figures were once buried here, including Maj. Gen. J.H.R. Kohler, the Dutch general who tried to conquer Aceh; archeologist W.F. Stutterheim, who wrote a famous book on the Hindu hero Rama; the founder of the famous STOVIA medical school, F.H. Roll; and J.L.A. Brandes, a famous archeologist who actively collected Hindu statues (a collection now in possession of the National Museum of Indonesia).

The tombstone of Olivia Marrianne Raffles (1814), the first wife of British Gov. Gen. Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, stands in the grounds of Museum Taman Prastasi. The tombstone of Olivia Marrianne Raffles (1814), the first wife of British Gov. Gen. Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, stands in the grounds of Museum Taman Prastasi.

The headstones of several non-Dutch people can also be found here, such as Olivia Marrianne Raffles (the first wife of British Governor General Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles), activist Soe Hok Gie and the famous 1930s artist Miss Riboet.

People from various corners of the globe, including Southeast Asia, Saudi Arabia, India and China have been laid to rest here.

Many stones in the cemetery date from long before it was officially built. These stones were brought to the cemetery when several churches in Batavia were demolished at the beginning of the 19th century. Some of these were inserted into the cemetery wall, while others were placed within the yard.

After Indonesia's declaration of independence, the park was used as a Christian cemetery. Within the first two years it was managed by the Verberg Foundation and for the next twenty years it was handled by the Palang Hitam Foundation.

From 1967 to 1975 the cemetery was managed by the Jakarta burials agency, and then it was closed for burials to make way for the construction of the Central Jakarta mayoralty office.

At a request from the local government, some corpses were removed by relatives while others were taken to Tanah Kusir cemetery in South Jakarta.

Many tombstones, sculptures and statutes were removed and damaged during the construction of the office and now only 32 tombstones remain in their original positions.

The size of the cemetery, originally on a 5.9 hectare plot was also reduced to 1.3 hectares.

Jakarta History Museum head M.R. Manik said only about 1,200 of 4,200 stones were selected to be kept in the cemetery, which was officially opened as the open-air Museum Taman Prasasti or Museum Park of Memorial Stones.

"The tombstones were selected due to their unique designs that represent a period in history, the role of the deceased in history, or because they were too heavy to be removed," said Manik, who became head of the inscription museum from 1988 to 1998.

In July 1994, three landscape architecture students from Trisakti University won a design contest for the development of the open-air museum.

However, the execution of the design, undertaken by a private contractor, was only loosely based on the design, which won the Merit Award at the Congress of the International Federation of Landscape Architects in Bangkok in October 1995.

"If the stones were grouped into specific periods, one could see the history of Jakarta just by wandering through the park," said Nirwono Joga, one of the students who is now a landscape architect.

Many tombstones in the park have rich stories, such as the story of the mysterious tomb of Captain Jass; or the story of Pieter Erberveld, a German native and captain of the Batavian cavalry who was tortured to death with his followers on April 22, 1722, on an accusation of treason.

The material and style of tombstones, with unique characters and stories behind each, Nirwono said, could become resources for cultural and architecture studies and even had potential to become one of the best centers for cemetery studies in Asia.

"Much work could be done if people were only aware of how valuable this cemetery is as a historical asset. We could market the historical importance of this site," said Nirwono, who has identified 1,323 artifacts at the site.

"It's dangerous if a museum is not managed as part of people's lives. Nobody would care if they get demolished for new modern projects," he said.

Nirwono conducted a 10-year research project on the cemetery, which resulted in a book titled 'Museum Taman Prasati: Metamorfosis Kerkhof Laan Menjadi Museum' (Museum Park of Memorial Stones: The Metamorphosis from Kerkhof Laan to Museum).

The cemetery may be the oldest modern cemetery in the world, he said.

Nirwono has compared the Tanah Abang museum to Fort Canning Park (1926) in Singapore; Gore Hill Cemetery (1868) in Sydney; La Chaise Cemetery (1803) in Paris; and Mount Auburn Cemetery (1831) in Cambridge; Massachusetts.

"Based on data on the official opening dates of those cemeteries, the Tanah Abang cemetery is the oldest.

"But it is unlikely to nominate this historic area to UNESCO as a World Heritage site because only 32 of its 1,000 tombstones are standing in their original positions, and also the park doesn't function as public cemetery anymore," Nirwono said.

The museum is also home to the coffins of Indonesia's founding president, Soekarno, and vice, Mohammad Hatta, and a replica of a 17th-century hearse.

Why this cemetery has become so neglected remains a sad mystery, reflected in an inscription on Soe Hok Gie's tombstone: "Nobody knows the trouble I see, nobody knows my sorrow".

History of Stovia: Home to national change

Matheos Viktor Messakh , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 05/30/2008 4:41 PM | City

It was in 1847 that a Dutch health officer in Batavia, W. Bosch, received reports of several deadly diseases in Banyumas, Central Java.

In response, the government came up with a plan to educate local indigenous youths to become health counselors or vaccinators.

The government decreed on Jan. 2, 1849, that 30 young Javanese be educated at the Weltevreden military hospital (now the Army Central Hospital Gatot Soebroto) as vaccinators.

The education was free and, soon after graduating, the vaccinators received 15 gulden a month as well as housing.

They were trained by Dutch health officers, with support from officers at the military hospital.

In 1856, the school started a three-year program for its students and started to enroll students from outside Java. The school was called the Sekolah Dokter Jawa, or Java Doctor School.

In 1898 Java Doctor School director H.F. Roll came up with the idea to upgrade the school to become the School tot Opleiding Van Inlandsche Artsen, or Stovia.

Roll's proposals were accepted and in 1899 the Dutch government started constructing a new building for Stovia on 15,742 square meters of land in gang Manjangan in Weltevreden area, now Senen.

But the construction was interrupted due to a lack of funds. It only continued after Roll collected 178,000 gulden from three businessmen in Batavia, P.W. Janssen, J. Nienhuys and H.C. van den Honert.

The building was finished in 1901 and was formally opened as Stovia on March 1, 1902.

Students accepted into Stovia were graduates of the Europese Legere School (ELS), the Dutch primary school, or its equivalent. They had to spend two to three years studying a preparation curriculum and then continued studying a college medical curriculum for another 5-6 years.

The students were obliged to live in the building's boarding house until they completed their studies.

It was in the anatomy classroom of Stovia on May 20, 1908, that nine medical students formed Boedi Oetomo, the first modern organization that led to the national movement against colonial rule.

Boedi Oetomo was established by class IV and V students, after a meeting led by Wahidin Soedirohoesoedo a year earlier. It is believed Wahidin was the instigator of Boedi Oetomo.

The building was not only where Boedi Oetomo was established, but where two other youth organizations formed, namely Tri Koro Darmo in March 7, 1915, which later became Jong Java and Jong Sumatranen Bond on Dec. 9, 1917.

The curriculum of Stovia improved during 1913-1914, with the duration of study extended to seven years. It then started to accept students of more diverse backgrounds.

From 1926 onwards, the Stovia building in Hospitalweg was used by the Algemeene Middlebare School (AMS) high school, the MULO, and the pharmacist assistant school.

During Japanese colonial rule in 1942-1945, the building was used to house prisoners of war from the Dutch battalion V, with most of its members from Ambon.

As many as 196 Ambonese households continued to occupy the building until March 1973, before the Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin relocated them to a new housing complex in Pedongkelan, Cengkareng.

The Jakarta administration began renovating the building in April 1973. On May 20, 1974 it was formally opened by President Soeharto as the National Awakening Building.

As the National Awakening Building, it became home to four museums: the National Awakening Museum, the Health Museum, the National Press Museum and the Women's Movement Museum.

On Sept. 27, 1982, the Jakarta government handed the building over to the central government. The building became the National Awakening Museum in February 1984.

National awakening museum in need of revamp

Matheos Viktor Messakh , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 05/30/2008 4:41 PM | City



In contrast to the glamorous 100th National Awakening Day at the Bung Karno sports stadium, the National Awakening Museum on Jl. Abdul Rahman Saleh in Senen, Central Jakarta, is in an appalling condition.

The neoclassical building, built in 1899 for the School tot Opleiding Van Inlandsche Arsten, or Stovia, a Dutch medical school for native students, is struggling to preserve its grand history as a place where local students initiated a movement and established a modern organization, Boedi Oetomo, against colonialism in the country.

Once you walk through the main entrance, you will find parts of the building have been overtaken by white ants.

Not much national awakening memorabilia can be found here.

What can be found are faint trails of the past, like some replica Dutch sailing vessels, hundreds of reproduced photos and paintings of national heroes, reproductions of old newspapers, life-size bust models of nine people believed to be the founders of Boedi Oetomo and several dioramas.


"Apart from the building, the only originals are some furniture and medical equipment," said Edy Suwardi, the National Awakening Museum head.

The poor preservation has made it difficult for the museum's management to attain original items, Suwardi said.

"People may be willing to donate their heirlooms, but they are worried they will not be preserved."

Some of the museum's collections are poorly kept. Some photos have no labels and the ones that do are accompanied by vague explanations. Some photos have already gone missing. Only a few rooms have the correct amount of light and the right temperature.

Built as a medical school by Dutch military engineer corps, the Stovia building's design is more like a fortress or military dormitory than a medical school.

The facade above the main entrance is classical Greek in style, but the main entrance itself is a colonial fortress.

The 19th-century building has long windows inviting sunshine. Every window has two shutters and a semicircular grille fanlight attached to each one.

Some windows were restored to their original style in 1973, but glass panes have been replaced by iron bars.

Until a renovation by the Jakarta administration in 1973, the building was home to 196 households of Ambon soldiers.

During the renovations, former Stovia, Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO) and Algemeene Middlebare School (AMS) students provided photos and shared their memories of the original building.

Some changes have been made, including new doors connecting rooms, to accommodate visitors to the museum.

Suwardi said despite being of heritage status since 1983, the museum still lacked government funding.

Last year the museum received Rp 2.8 billion (US$ 300.8 million) from the government, but this year it received only Rp 1.8 billion.

Every year, the government earmarks about Rp 300 million for maintenance.

"With this amount there is not much we can do. Painting doors and window frames is cheap, but replacing old and broken materials is expensive," said Suwardi.

Suwardi said the government allocated 30 percent of the funding to fixed-expenditures, such as employee salaries and building maintenance, while the remaining 70 percent should go toward museum activities.

However, more than half of the money is used to pay its 44 employees.

"It is difficult to apply this ratio because we have many employees and obviously our expenditure on human resources is larger," said Suwardi.

Earnings from entrance fees and the museum shops form only a tiny part of their income.

Suwardi said the museum received up to 1,000 visitors a month, but since the entrance fee was set by the government in 1998 at Rp 750 for adults and Rp 250 for children, the museum does not earn much money.

In addition to rooms exhibiting photos, four rooms are dedicated to specific occasions and national awakening dioramas.

There is a Boedi Oetomo memorial, a diorama room of a Stovia lecturers' meeting, a room for a Stovia class diorama and a room depicting national heroine R.A. Kartini's classroom.

On the front corner to the left of the building is the Boedi Oetomo memorial room, which is the only room in its original state. It is believed that Raden Soetomo and eight other students held a meeting here on May 20, 1908, to establish Boedi Oetomo. Back then the room was used for anatomy studies.

In this dark room there are the bronze busts of eight people believed to be the founders of Boedi Oetomo, including Goenawan Mangoenkoesoemo, Raden Angka Prodjosoedirdjo, Gondo Soewarno, Raden Mas Goembrek, Soeradji Tirtonegoro, Moehammad Saleh and Moehammad Soelaiman.

An original human skeleton used for medical students is still hanging inside a display case. A surgery table lies next to it.

Next to the Boedi Oetomo memorial room is a room with an exhibit detailing the situation of the lecturers' meeting when Stovia director H.F. Roll defended Soetomo.

When Soetomo was about to be expelled from Stovia due to his activities in Boedi Oetomo, Roll was able to defend him with his famous saying: "Wasn't anyone among the gentlemen present here redder (more radical) than Soetomo when they were at the age of 18?"

The original table used during the meeting is on display, but the exhibit itself does not represent the real event. From paintings and photos depicting the event, it appears that eight people attended the meeting, but we only find three people in the exhibit, one being Roll.

It's common knowledge the poor management of many museums in the country is caused by a lack of funding. Not only are the collections poorly kept, but they also lack modernity. In a shop inside the museum, apart from soft drinks and snacks, don't expect to find souvenir proving you visited the museum.

"Our museum shop is run by our cooperative, which emphasizes employee welfare. We have some miniatures of the building and some T-shirts and caps, but sometimes we just give them to visitors for free," Suwardi said.