Heritage Corner

     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...

  Industrial Heritage of Indonesia Series #1 Reviving the Deli Planters! Indonesian Plantation Museum ( Museum Perkebunan Indonesia -Musperin) An exemplary public-private partnership in heritage conservation of Indonesia. Two plantation museums in 5 years period is a relatively huge achievement for the industrial heritage of Indonesia. This is only possible with the ideal combination of financial support of the plantation state company, in this case, PTPN II, museum professional executive the board led by Sri Hartini, and active involvement of community organizations like Sumatra Heritage Trust. Soedjai Kartasasmita, the leading figure of plantation industry of Indonesia has taken an initiative to establish a museum to convey history of plantation of the country to the young generation. He was and is still supported by the energetic museum director, Sri Hartini, to fulfill the dream. The museum was formally opened on 10 December 2016 at a complex of historical buildings i...

Pan Sumatra Network for Heritage Conservation (Pansumnet) presents:   FACES OF SUMATRA: 500 Postcards 1900-1945’ by Scott Merrillees There is a saying that a picture speaks a thousand words and a postcard sends a thousand messages. Scott Merrillees, author of a published book ‘FACES OF SUMATRA: 500 Postcards 1900-1945’ in 2019. The book highlights the diversity of the people of Indonesia before independence was declared on 17 August 1945. There are 500 postcards presented in six chapters—Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Lombok, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Eastern Indonesia.  This time Scott will talk about the 96 postcards in Chapter One: SUMATRA. Wednesday, 24 March 2021 15:00 - 17:00 Jakarta Time 19:00 - 21:00 Melbourne Time (Zoom cloud meeting & Facebook Live Streaming)   Registration: http://bit.ly/dbpmar21

Several years ago I was at NAi (the old name of the New Institute, Rotterdam) for a meeting. When I  was walking to the exit door passing by the library, all of sudden, I saw a picture of a palm tree on a desk library. My tropical DNA instinctively rang and I shouted, "Palm tree!" The man who was using the reference book looked up and smiled.  That man was Obbe Norbruis who becomes a good friend of mine. When he was in the library, he tried to collect information about the architecture bureau Hulswit-Fermont-Cuypers in the Dutch Indies. He wrote two books about the subject in Dutch and now they are also available in English.  The launching of the English version is tomorrow, 8 March 2021.  I am lucky to bump into a friend like Obbe. He is diligent and perseverant in following his passions to write something that he thinks will be useful for the shared heritage of Indonesia and the Netherlands.  Besides a good writer, he is also a good speaker. I listened to his ...

What we are lucky to live in an era when new ways of communication are discovered continuously. The latest discovery is Clubhouse, a platform to exchange thoughts or simply to chat. Personal or professional. The four ladies from Indonesia Diaspora Netherlands, Task Force Liveable Cities keep up with this new trend. On Thursday, 4 March, we are going to talk to the audience in Indonesia about public space, housing, heritage, and landscape, in an informal way. If this medium is useful to spread positivism, I am in.

Diskusi Bulanan Pansumnet MEMBACA LIMAS, RUMAH ADAT PALEMBANG Narasumber: Ir. Ari Siswanto.,MCRP., PhD- Prodi Arsitektur Fakultas Teknik - UNSRI Moderator: Dr. Ing. Listen Prima, ST., M.Planning - Dosen Prodi Arsitektur Fakultas Teknik - UNSRI Rabu, 24 Pebruari 2021 Jam 19:00 - 21:00  WIB Media: Zoom Cloud Meeting dan Facebook Live Streaming Pendaftaran: http://bit.ly/dbpfeb21 *sertifikat tersedia sesuai permintaan Narahubung: 085262036767 (WA Only) Palembang selalu identik dengan Kerajaan Sriwijaya, Sungai Musi dan Rumah Limas. Karena letaknya yang strategis di tepian Sungai Musi, Palembang menjadi pusat pemerintahan sejak masa Sriwijaya dan  pusat berkembangnya budaya sungai seperti pertumbuhan permukiman dengan beragam jenis arsitektur rumah tradisional. Ada dua jenis rumah tradisional di Palembang yaitu Rumah Panggung dan Rumah Rakit. Rumah Panggung diantaranya: Rumah Limas, Rumah Gudang, dan Rumah Panggung (Limas) Cina. Rumah Limas tidak hanya ada di Palembang, tapi juga ...

February is a special month for me. I have migrated to the Netherlands in 2005 arrived at the Schiphol Airport on 11 February. Seven years later, in 2012, I became a Dutch citizen and took an oath at the Amsterdam City Hall on 23 February.  I took those two events as crucial events of my life, together with several others. Migration and new nationality, how does it feel? Personally, I felt all processes were naturally happening as if they should have happened as a continuation of my life stories. I have met a Dutch partner, I brought my daughter to migrate to the Netherlands, and after several years I felt the necessity to have clarity for my daughter and myself about our nationalities. Both of us have Indonesian blood, nothing can and will change that, but nationality is a choice and we have chosen to be Dutch citizens.  The Netherlands is a good country to live in, factually. The facts are:  relatively well-managed basic needs infrastructure (health, education, social w...

Capacity development is an effort that lasts for my whole period of interest in cultural heritage. It means in the mid1990s. It means more than 25 years and I am still doing it. I am still doing it independently because I started it in Indonesia and in Indonesia, nobody employs you if you work in the cultural heritage sector.  In 2005 I moved to the Netherlands and I am still doing what I did in Indonesia: capacity development in the cultural heritage sector. I am still doing it independently because of the nature of my works that focuses more on the needs and characters of the cultural heritage sector of Indonesia.  Fifteen years forward, I am content with my capacity development efforts. They can be seen on my website. They are limited and humble, but I did them all with my best intentions. Just to share a daily experience, yesterday, 25 January 2021, I had an online meeting for the Historic Urban Landscape cooperation. I saw the logo of my own affiliation (Heritage hands-o...

International Symposium on Water and Culture, Monday, February 3rd, 2020, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, Japan, (Organized by High-level Experts and Leaders Panel on Water and Disasters (HELP), National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan (MLIT), UN Center for Regional Development (UNCRD/UNDESA), and ICOMOS Netherlands) Water nurtures a unique and diverse culture of a society that becomes a solid foundation of sustainable development of regions. Innovative paths for regional development can be found by looking at people’s lives and livelihood through a water lens. Leading experts on water and culture will present cases of rich water culture and their impact on regional society and economy. Good practices and lessons on water-related regional development will be shared from both historical and modern cases. The panelists discussed how the issue of water and culture can ...