Heritage Corner

I moved to Medan, North Sumatra (from Bandung) in 1997, and a year later on 29 April, together with seven Medan'ers, we established Sumatra Heritage Trust or Badan Warisan Sumatra (BWS). Today the organization exists for 23 years with a new Indonesian name (Beranda Warisan Sumatra-BWS), a new logo, and a new website.  The current Board's members who are younger than the Founders decided that the organization needs to reborn with a new spirit and a more actual appearance. I agreed and supported the idea. The vision and mission of the organization stay. I think this is a healthy dynamic of the regeneration process.  The 23rd Anniversary is celebrated cheerfully in Medan itself, but especially online, during this Covid19 pandemic. BWS organizes a seminar about regulations of heritage, a workshop about archives, and a monthly period of virtual programs. Glad to see the enthusiasm and creativity of the younger generation of the BWS's leadership. I am thankful that the leadership...

     Conservation and Sustainability at the True Senses I am deeply impressed with Spedagi and several other parties' village revitalization movement, which has been going on for almost three decades in Indonesia. The brains behind the movement are Singgih Susilo Kartono and Trien, a couple I know since university times long ago. The movement reminds us that village could be as vibrant as urban, economically, socially, culturally, and might be environmental as a better option. Spedagi and all parties involved have shown the paradigm through practices. They don’t use cultural heritage conservation terms, but in practice, they promote and conserving the identity and characteristics of the local community. And if we talk about sustainability, their movement is simply a practice of sustainability in a true sense because all resources and materials are locals and environmentally friendly. I have seen showcases through the Third International Conference of Village Revitalizatio...

           Monthly Discussion of Pansumnet      (Pan-Sumatra Network for Heritage Conservation) Saturday, 24 April 2021 13.30-15.30 WIB (08.30 CET) History of Railways in Deli (North Sumatra) as part of the plantation exploitations in the region in the early 20th century by the Dutch-Indies Government. Presented by Greg H.W. the Founder of Instagram @keretadeli ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Diskusi Bulanan Pansumnet Paparan Sejarah dan Perkembangan Kereta Api di Tanah Deli dengan judul Kisah Sabuk Besi Sumatra Utara. Narasumber: Greg HW, Founder dan Admin @keretadeli Moderator: Riky Soeripno, Komunitas DIVRE1RAILFANS Sabtu, 24 April 2021, Jam 13:30 - 15:30 WIB Media: Zoom Cloud Meeting dan Facebook Live Streaming Pendaftaran: http://bit.ly/dbpApril21 sertifikat tersedia sesuai permintaan Narahubung: 085262036767 (WA Only) Bagi pecinta kereta api, mengumpulkan dan mengoleksi segala sesuai hal yang berbentuk kereta api tentu menjadi kepuasan ter...

HUL Quick Scan Workshop of the Historic Inner City of Pekojan, West Jakarta, 31 March-12 May 2021 In the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, we move on with the effort to improve the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) Quick Scan method by applying it to research the historic inner city of Pekojan, West Jakarta. Pekojan is famous as the Arabic Quarter in the capital of Indonesia, with mosques and traditions that still alive until now.   The participants are the master students of the Architecture Department of University of Indonesia (UI). Supported by mentors from Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, Heritage hands-on, Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), Trisakti University, and the UI.   The HUL Quick Scan Method was implemented earlier in Muntok, West Bangka, and Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.   The HUL Quick Scan Method Handbook will be launched soon this year based on practices and learning processes in Indonesia and the Netherlands.

  Now Indonesia is one of the largest importers of sugar in the world. It used to be the other way around. During the economic depression in the 1930s, Indonesia was the second-largest exporter of sugar, after Cuba, produced by 179 sugar factories. Sugar crop has been founded in Java around Batavia since the 12 th Century but the sugar industry potential of East Java ( Oosthoek in Dutch, including Pasuruan and Probolinggo) was firstly noticed by Deandels at the early 19 th Century.   This idea was continued and realized by the British colonial government led by Charles Etty Esq., a captain of the British sugar industry who has also initiated the sugar industry in Calcutta, India. The story of the Eastern tip was one of the episodes of the successful sugar industry. Other areas around Java, especially Central Java, has significant history episodes as well.   Nevertheless, it is worth remembering to remind the younger generation of Indonesia that it used to be...