Jurnatan Heritage Site in Memoriam

On the leftside were aerial photos of Jurnatan Central Station, the Bank of Taiwan, and KNIMC. On the right side were the current condition, all of them were changed into shopping complex. (source: Wikimapia and Google Earth)

The development of a civilization can’t separated by the story from the past. That’s the importance of learning history, therefore the needs of acknowledgement of history plus the preservation of historical sites is the duties for those who were becoming a “successor” of a civilization. Here in Semarang, lack of the awareness truly jeopardized these, especially for the historical sites preservations efforts. But I think, its not only in Semarang but all over the world which belongs to development countries. It’s a common problems there, where’s the preservation efforts which related faced with the economics problems like,” how we could use it to fulfilling the daily needs?”. Commonly, they takes the short ways, to demolished it then changed into something that could give the high return in a short time. To built a residences or a business complex above it because of the needs are so high.

Jurnatan Centraal Station in 1927, the centre of tram services all around
Semarang. This station belongs to Samarang Joana Stoomtram-Maatschappij.
(Source: KITLV)

I’m gonna shared one’s of the biggest loss in Semarang, related to the Historical sites. It’s in the Jurnatan where once there’s a Jurnatan Station, Bank of Taiwan and Indische Motor Club building stood in this more than 10 acres large area, but now, no one’s survive. A business complex built above this area in the last decades of 80’s. The Jurnatan Station that owned by Semarang-Joana Stoomtram Maatschapijj are the biggest building here. This was the centre of City Tram services in Semarang which started in 1889.  The Tram services were closed under the Japanese occupation, and the Station converted into City Terminal in 1974, with still maintaining some parts of the station like the unique platform that decorated by stained glass decoration still preserved.  Around 1986, its completely demolished to built a newly business complex called Jurnatan Business Center. Here is the list of the notable buildings that lost in the area of Jurnatan.

1. Jurnatan Centraal Station, the Railways Station owned by Semarang Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij that served the line between Semarang until the North-Coast City (Indonesia: Pantai Utara or simply known as Pantura) like Demak, Kudus, Rembang, Pati, etc, also served the City Tram services in Semarang.
2. Insulinde Bike Factory.
3. Bank of Taiwan Office
4. Koninklijke Nederlands Indie Motor Club (KNIMC) Headquarters
5. Wurttembergische Kazerne
6. Centraal Gevangenis
7. Semarang Wees- en Boedelkamer (Weeskamer)

Wat Jammer! Just try to observed the aerial photos of these area were totally awesome and doesn’t make sense, how such that big area with the enormous buliding on it were demolished. Changed into such a unartistic building used as a business complex. Due to the low quality structure, currently most of the block on that sites were abandoned. Still felt so curious about the reason behind it anyway behind the destruction of this sites. but this was a proof that once u’ve false deciding something, it wouldn’t hard to changed its back, think twice before! ;)