SOCONY, The Trace of Rockefeller in Semarang

Petroleum industry since in the late of 19th century was became a freshly new lucrative mining industry in the world. Indonesia or Netherlands East Indie  in the old days became became the fourth-largest exporters of oil after the US, the USSR, and Iran during the first half of the 20th century. As for Saudi Arabia, its oil deposits weren’t discovered till 1938 and no one knew how much they had till after the war. The Petroleum industry in Netherlands East Indie started in Pangkalan Brandan, North Sumatera in 1883. Soon its attracted another petroleum company to do the oil exploration in these Dutch colonies.  One of them, was the company of one’s of the world famous tycoon from the United States of America, SOCONY. SOCONY currently part of the Exxon-Mobile company, one's of the major petroleoum company in world.

SOCONY former headquarter in Semarang, currently occupied by
Hotel Pelangi. The numberings of the building in the area that never changed
since the colonial period, made it easy to track its location although the
name of the street indeed was completely different.

SOCONY history dates from the late 19th century as part of American John D. Rockefeller’s oil giant Standard Oil. Rockefeller, along with Maurice B. Clark and Englishman Samuel Andrews, founded Standard Oil in 1870 in Cleveland, Ohio after investing in an oil refinery in 1863. Following a trust agreement in 1882, the Standard Oil Company of New York was created, the predecessor to SOCONY-Vacuum and later the Mobil Corporation. In the next decades, the company spread its business to Europe and Asia, and employed the use of large ‘kerosene clippers’ to transport their material overseas. 1911 marked the end of the giant consortium of 34 Standard Oil companies after an antitrust suit forced Rockefeller’s conglomerate to split. Standard Oil Company of New York was now a spin-off company of the original Standard Oil, and became known as SOCONY (an acronym for its full name).

view from the terrace of the former SOCONY office in Semarang, situated in its 2nd floor and it has a great panoramic view toward the Tawang Railway Station. 

SOCONY begin to open their business in Netherlands East Indie  as its announced in De Indische Courant in February 7th 1922 as one of its vessel arrived directly from United States, carrying 1.500 boxes of petrol (old form of carrying the petrol with capacity of 20 litres each box). Soon, the service station of SOCONY spread all over Netherlands East Indie, serve the people who was in the first generation of automobile. Four year later in 1926, SOCONY already had its offices in several cities like Weltevreden (currently Jakarta Pusat areas), Semarang, Cilacap, Bandung, Surabaya and Makassar.  Their office in Semarang was still exist until today but its changed into a hotel named Hotel Pelangi in the Kota Lama, an old town areas of Semarang. The building although very modest but it has a great view toward the Tawang train station, the most artistic railway station building in Indonesia. Another interesting story about this three-story building was, once it became a silent witness of the Nelson Rockefeller visits during his trip to Netherlands East Indies in the end of 1930.     

One out of the few original part that remains in the
former SOCONY office in Semarang.

The visit of  Nelson Rockefeller itself which is the The visit this Rockefeller Jr became a hit for the newspaper in Netherlands East Indies where several newsapaper wrote an articles about this events like Bataviasch Nieuwsblad, Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië, etc. Nelson took His wife also during His trip, and started in Bali as their first destination in 27 November 1930. Then they crossing the Balinese strait into Java and visiting Tosari village for the famous Bromo Mountain. After that a stop in Surabaya and then continues to Yogyakarta, where they spent several days there. Accompanied by J.B. Emmert, the general-manager of SOCONY in Batavia, they drove a car to the north, to Semarang. The head of SOCONY in Semarang , W.F.C. Nieuwhuizen indeed busy with the reception over this honorary guest. During His visit in Semarang, the Mr and Mrs. Nelson A Rockefeller spent a night at Hotel Du Pavillon, later known as Hotel Dibya Puri.  After Semarang, they took a planes to Bandung, before then to Batavia and back to the United States of America.

Borsumij Building, the only Legacy of J.F.L Blankenberg in Semarang

Borsumij Office of Semarang in 1939, shortly after its finished. The contrast between the old-colonial architecture of Koepelkerk, and the modern art deco of Borsumij.

(source: Locale Techniek, 1940)

In the middle of 1938, a fifty’s-years old architect, Johan Frederik Lodewijk Blankenberg was asked by the N.V. Borneo Sumatera Maatschappij (Borsumij) to designed their new office buildings in Semarang. Blankenberg, whom at that time were the chairman of  Nederlandsch-Indische Architectenkring (NIAK), accept this offers. Here, Blankenberg as its requested by Borsumij, have to designs the office similar with what His fellow architect, Cosmas Citroen had done in Surabaya that had designed their office also in 1934. In His opinion, Blankenberg agreed that the Citroen designs for the Borsumij building in Surabaya gives it the best of the best of modern office building in Dutch Indies (Indonesia during colonial period), as it already addressed in advance to the maximization of space, function and natural lighting. 

The plaque in the entrance of  the Borsumij building of Semarang. 

The Borusmij building in Semarang, located in the centre of the Kota Lama area, in its main road, Heerenstraat (currently Jalan Letjen Soeprapto) and next to Koepelkerk, the landmark of Kota Lama. The building, seen from outside maybe just like another art-deco building built in colonial period but inside it, were remarkable.  The materials inside, its floor, wall, stairs, stained glass and pillars so colourful. The marble floors colour . The stairs decoration used the colour of Arabescato (creamy green with black veins) when the walls were in Rosso Levanto (dark red with white veins), both Italian marbles.  The columns coated in lead glazed black colored moldings, when the basement used the gray green granite plester. At the entrance, there were friezes and ceramic plaque stated that the first stone of the construction laid by M.C . Albert-Rauh, the wife of the Borsumij Agent of Semarang in Ferbuary 4th 1939. Construction was by the Firm. Ooiman and van Leeuwen in Semarang and after ten months, in October, its finished. The construction costs approximately ƒ 150.000.- (almost 12 billion rupiahs in the current value) for office and the new warehouses on the norths if the office.

One's of the Borsumij new warehouses building, located on the north
of the offices. This warehouse also designed by Blankenberg and built
in 1939.

Borsumij itself was a one’s of the major company in Dutch Indies at that times, its even considered as one’s of top big five companies in Dutch Indies along with Nederlandse Handel Maatschappij (NHM), Geo Wehry, Lindeteves Stokvis and Jacobson van den Berg. It was founded by J.W. Schlimmer, agent of NHM at Banjarmasin (East Kalimantan). In 1883, at a time when NHM shifted its attention to banking rather than commodity trade, Schlimmer took over the NHM facilities in the region and began his own company, Schlimmer & Co. In 1894 it became a limited liability company under the name of N.V Borneo-Sumatera Maatschappij (Borsumij) with its headquaters at 's-Gravenhage (another name for The Hague, then its no longer used after the city municipality start from 1990 to consistently using Den Haag/ The Hague as the official name), Netherlands. Beside Banjarmasin, it opened offices at Pontianak and Medan. The company came to hold a monopolistic role in the commodity trade in Kalimantan and Sumatera, related to the name of the company. As there were no large credit institution during these early years, Borsumij was able to succesfully expand its business. The company thereupon invested heavily in agricultural and mining estates, specifically rubber and coal. By the late twenties decade, Borsumij acquired large rubber sources and became direct supplier to Goodyear at Singapore. In the early 20's century, Borsumij also became major export-import company, and its made the company growth bigger. Borsumij ended their fate as big company in 1958, while its nationalized by Indonesian Government following the West Papua Crisis. The company then became state-owned company until nowadays, and its asset managed by PT. Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia (PPI).

Source: 

1. Locale Techniek, 1940, volume 009, issue 001
2. Commercial Networks in Modern Asia by Linda Grove and Shinya Sugiyama

Bank Mandiri Kota Lama Semarang, former "De Factorij" of Nederlandse Handel Maatschappij

The office of Nederlandse Handel Maatschappij (NHM) in Semarang in 1910. Situated in the "gate" of the Kota Lama (eng: Old Town), made it one of the most famous buildings amongst other buildings in this neighborhood. The entrance under the tower is no longer exist. (source: Leiden University Library)

Ever been to Museum Bank Mandiri, Jakarta? This former head office of Nederlandse Handel Maatschappij (NHM), in the main entrance, its written on the wall “FACTORIJ”. Here in Semarang, once I saw also in the online archives of KITLV, mentioned this word also (factorij) referings  the office of NHM in Semarang. Dutch and English has the same roots, known as the West Germanic language, so the word factorij, I wondering if its also has the same meaning as factory, but I was wrong. In the dutch languages, factorij means an establishment for traders carrying on business in a foreign country, this word also used in the old days by the British but no longer again, as in the oxford dictionary explains. 

The lobby in the 2nd floor after the
renovation finish. Seems all preserved well.

Its make sense, since the NHM actualy established in 1824 by King Willem I of the Netherlands to promote and develop trade, shipping and agriculture overseas. The NHM actually the new version of Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC) that went to bankcruptcy in 1799. NHM have a responsibility to expanding existing trade, as well as financing industry and shipping mainly to East Indie (currently Indonesia), the Dutch main trade route. King Willem I of the Netherlands of course have a vision to revitalized its glorious period of trade, like under the VOC period that brought the Dutch into its Golden Age. Then in 1830, the Governor General introduced the new policy called Culuurstelsel. Cultuurstelsel meant that the indigenous people lease 20% of its land to be used for products for the export commodities. These export commodities such as indigo (dye), tea, sugar, and the most favourites at that time coffee! De Amsterdamse koffieveilingen (eng: Amsterdam Coffee Auction) were world famous as the place to get a good quality of coffee. This also later became the background for the story of Max Havelaar that criticize the practice of cultuurstelsel as the indigenous people sufferings from that policy.

As the protest continues to growth, the cultuurstelsel then abolished in 1870. This started the new phase in Dutch Indies, that is the liberation of economy. NHM then engaged in financing and banking operations. Its even later became one’s of the top big five company in Dutch Indies, together with Lindeteves-Stokvis, Borsumij, Geo Wehry and Jacobson van Den Berg. In the late of 19th centuries, almost all of the major cities in Dutch Indies have the NHM branch on it, Semarang of course one of it. 

The view from the balcony above the
main entrance towards the Societeit Brug. 
Peoples oftenly calls it as Jembatan Mberok.

The building of NHM in Semarang located in former sites of Societeit Amiticia (thats why the bridge in front of it called Societeit Brug, brug=bridge). Facing to the west with a tower that visible from one’s of the Semarang major yet important street of Bodjong (now Jalan Pemuda), made it easily recognized from distance. The building start to construct in August 2nd 1908 as its written in the plaque inside the buildings. Designed by Prof. Jacob Frederik Klinkhamer in Netherlands, then He appointed D.W. Hinse to Semarang to became the inhouse architect who as the overseer of the buildings progress. The buildings has a beautiful façade, with a row of wide expresionism style of arch shaped were dominated the view of it. The buildings now owned by Bank Mandiri, the heir of all NHM assets in the whole Indonesia after its been nationalized in 1960. Bank Mandiri  actualy merged from four different banks in July, 1999, such as Bank Bumi Daya (BBD), Bank Dagang Negara (BDN), Bank Ekspor Impor Indonesia (Bank Exim), dan Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo). All of that four banks actualy owned the assets from the foreign company nationalization policy in the late 50’s decade. Thus, made Bank Mandiri had plenty of heritage buildings, all over Indonesia. This company anyway, such a good example how the corporation should take care of its asset, which belongs to the heritage sites. Just like their asset in Semarang, this former NHM buildings, just renovated and its re-inaugurated this November, 2016.

Wish the others will follow the steps

The Englishman in Semarang

Thomas Whittecombe paintings about the Capture of Maria 
Riggersbergen, a Dutch frigate with 36 guns, in the port of 
Batavia as a part of Napoleonic Wars. (source: wikimedia)

The history relation between British and Indonesia have been so long created. In the literature we simply could found about the story about Sir Francis Drake reached Moluccas in 1579 on his circum-globe journey, which supposed to be the first Englishman officialy exploring Indonesia. Then also the story about their post in Banda in 18th century that then its sacked by Jan Pieterzon Coen, the exchanging between Pulau Run and Nieuw Amsterdam (Currently New York) through the Treaty of Breda in 1667, and also during the Napoleonic War, the British taken the DutchIndies, and creating such a notable person, Governor General in Java from 1812-1816, Sir Stamford Raffles with His famous book, The History of Java published in 1817. Then I am wondering as always, how about the story about the British peoples/company in Semarang?

Semarang Map in 1920, issued by NILLMIJ depicted two British Company in Semarang. Their office is situated in Oude Stadhuisstraat (now Jalan Branjangan) in Kota Lama (Old Town) neigborhood, and the company name is MacLaine & Co. and McNeill & Co. According to G. Roger Knight books titled Trade and Empire in Early Nineteenth-centtury South East Asia: Gillian MacLaine and His Business Network, there was a notable English company in Dutch Indies,  Maclaine & Co., an English trading company that established by Gillian Maclaine and Edward Watson in 1822. MacLaine's coming to Dutch Indies in actually earlier, even in 1821 Gillian Maclaine involved in a scheme hatched during the course of 1821 to rent further and very large tract of land for coffee growing from the ruler of Surakarta. After the establishment of Maclaine & Co. the business still related with the coffee, to became an export commodities. MacLaine & Co. beside growing its own coffee in their plantation in Melambong and Getas villages, both nearby Salatiga which also doing a coffee-buying to the others plantation, to accomodate the needs of export. In 1823, they opened their agents office in Semarang. Later Maclaine joined with the Scottisch owned company, McNeill & Co. one of firms that came to comprise the group of Asia-based enterprise that formed core of Maclaine Watson network. Thus, this two company having a same office building in Semarang. Their office even became the British Consulate in Semarang, its also depicted on the same map, as its mentioned before.

The opening of the first Jaarmaarkt in Semarang 1908, an exposition about the business potential in Semarang and its surround.  D.M. Campbell as the Head McNeill & Co. in Semarang sitting in second position from the right.
(source: Leiden University Library)

But then not so far from the MacLaine & Co. and McNeill & Co. office, there is another British company office. The insurance company named Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance Co. established their representation office in Semarang, also in Oude Stadhuisstraat. Date back to 1836, the year the Liverpool Fire and Life Insurance was established, within a few years, through several acquisitions, it became a prominent actor in the insurance sector. Among these companies taken over was the London, Edinburgh & Dublin Insurance Company in 1847. In 1864, following a successful bid for the Globe Insurance Company, a London-based insurer founded in 1803, the company then became The Liverpool & London & Globe. The Liverpool & London & Globe had a strong presence not only in the UK, where it was one of the main insurance companies, but also in the British empire, especially in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and even in the US, where its first branches had opened in 1848. In 1919 the Liverpool & London & Globe was acquired by The Royal, a company based in Liverpool and one of the greatest British exporters of insurance, in what was the largest merger in British insurance history. But then in 1919, the company acquired by the Royal Insurance group until the 1996, when the merger between this company and the Sun Alliance changed the name again into Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance, and started from 2008 its simplified the name into RSAInsurance Group, until now.

An effort to preserved the marble plaque of Liverpool & London & Globe
Insurance in Kota Lama, January 17th 2016. Behind that, still visible
the remains of the remains letter configuration forming Roode Driehook,
that makes the people misinterpretated about the name of the building. 

Still dont know when the company is left from Indonesia, but the big possibilities its also nationalized during the early stage of the Indonesia indepence. The building of Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance  always mistaken as the Roode Driehook, since likely for the needs of the movie set in Kota Lama, the creative team placing a sign name Roode Driehook in the walls of the building. The words sounds so dutch, and the people thoght that its named as Roode Driehook since the establishment of this building. Also, its became one’s of the favourite place to taken photos since the Kota Lama now became one’s of the tourism destination in Semarang. But still, the acknowledgement of the building remains unimportant for most of the visitor, even the plaque that stated if the building is the office of Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance was heavily damaged by the vandalism, but on January 17th 2016, its cleaned by Lopen Semarang History Community. Actually, its already twice We cleaned this marble plaque from the vandalism, wish it will be the last time for Us to clean it up. 

Geo Wehry & Co. Building in Semarang and A Neglected Tombstone in Bandung

Geo Wehry & Co. building (with the minaret and utility pole) as seen from
Societeitsbrug or known as Jembatan Berok in 1925
(source: Leiden University Library)  

Learning history sometimes looks like solving the puzzle.  It has the whole record of the past and the big picture of history is made only from small, seemingly insignificant pieces. but then when we combined it all together, we can see that it’s something important, even its shaped our understanding of the present or something. Couple days ago with my old friends from Senior High School, I went to the pool (billiard hall) in Kota Lama. Its belongs to the one’s of the new hangout place in the middle of the development of Kota Lama in the recent years, and this kind of place always attract me to pay a visit. I want to know how its look like after the renovation and also its convertion of function.

This place, that named as Kota Lama Billyard, using the former office of one’s of the greatest multinational company in Dutch Indies (present days Indonesia) during the Colonial Period, Geo Wehry & Co. Its belongs to the Top Big Five company at time together with Lindeteves Stokvis, Netherlands Handel Maatschappij (NHM), Borsumij, Jacobson Van Den Berg and Internationale Crediet-en Handels-Vereeniging Rotterdam (Internatio). Geo Wehry & Co. originated in 1862 at Batavia (nowadays Jakarta). By the end of the century, it had branches at Surabaya, Cirebon and Semarang. The company was particularly active in agricultural estates and the export of agricultural product like tobacco, coffee and tea, with the famous product of it, its Goalparra Tea. During the twenties it began to participate in brewery industries, with the Tjap Koentji as the famous brands of it. According to Indische Literaire Wandelingen sites, the building is designed by D.W Hinse.

Inside the building, now turns into pool (Billyard Hall)

D. W. Hinse J.Hzn. is a Dutch architect that coming to Semarang firstly in 1902 to preparing  the construction of Nederlandsch Indische Spoorwed Maatschappij Hoofdkantoor, or well known as Lawang Sewu. Lawang Sewu is designed by Prof. Jacob F. Klinkhamer in Delft and Mr. B. J. Ouëndag, architect in Amsterdam, but then for the construction the D.W. Hinse is commissioned to became in-house architect with the plans of the building, to commence and lead the work. Its explained in Het Administratiegebouw der Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg-Maatschappij te Semarang, Nederlandsch-Indië Oud en Nieuw, Volume 1 Number 1, May 1916. translated by Ir. Tjahjono Rahardjo. 

The D.W. Hinse wife's tombstone in Ci Guriang
springs in Bandung.

Its interesting! So its seems like D.W. Hinse after His task is done in 1907 when the Lawang Sewu construction is accomplished and officialy inaugurated, He still spent His life in Semarang. But another interesting story is about His wife. Well, I tried to to know more about this person D.W. Hinse but it tooks me to the site of the fellow heritage preservation activist in Bandung, Paman Ridwan (See His sites here), that there’s a neglected tombstone in the natural springs in Bandung that belongs to the D.W. Hinse wife! In the tombstone is written as follow,

ELISABETH ADRIANA HINSE-RIEMAN

GEB. AMSTERDAM

9 MAART 1859

OVERL. BANDOENG

13 JANUARI 1903

In His sites, Paman Ridwan also written if He then found an obituary in Het Nieuws van de Dag – De Kleine Courant, stated the Elisabeth Adriana Hinse-Reiman died the January 14th in Bandung, from Her husband D.W. Hinse, in Tjandi Semarang. Well another pieces of mistery, D.W. Hinse also lived in Tjandi like Thomas Karsten, a notable Dutch architect. The tombstone now laid in the natural spring of Ci Guriang, and used as the washboard, sounds strange eh? The area once is a kerkhof but then its demolished to built a sport complex, GOR Pajajaran. 

The Old Voyager

A photos from Leiden University Library archives depicted MS. Marnix van St. Aldegonde, a Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN) luxury liner with the heavies about 19.000 tons, servicing line between Amsterdam and Batavia. Later used as a troopship in the Central Naval Force of the allied forces during World War II. Tragically, She was torpedoed by German bombers in the Mediterranean on November 7, 1943 and sunk. | inzet: SMN lugage label

Entering Kota Lama from the west sides, from Jalan Pemuda, we'll welcomed by several iconic building lies along Jalan Mpu Tantular. One's of the building is Djakarta Lloyd building, that not so many people pay attention to this. Despite the activity is not as crowd as the building beside it, Bank Mandiri, the Djakarta Lloyd building in Kota Lama once become the office for the largest shipping company from Netherlands. Yap, Djakarta Lloyd building in Kota Lama once is a office for Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN). What we see today is the new building that designed by Thomas Karsten and accomplished in 1930. A luxurious building as the symbol of the glorious of the company, see the videos below from the film titled Zoo reizen wij naar Indie, Java-Bali 1938 that depicting the SMN office in Semarang. The SMN itself later nationalized by the government of Republic Indonesia, and their asset were taken over by several state company, just like in Kota Lama, its owned by Djakarta Lloyd.  

The story of NV Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland (SMN),  Amsterdam begin in 1870 while its started to operate a regular steam shipping service between Amsterdam and Batavia. SMN is one of the oldest and largest shipping companies in Netherlands. The SMN established to fulfilled the demand of sea transportation, which is increasing significantly from Asia to Europe after the opening of Suez Canaal in 1869.  

A ship from the SMN leaving  the passenger terminal
of port Tandjoengpriok, taken before 1952 (source: Tropenmuseum)

From 1870 to 1970, together with the Rotterdam Lloyd, millions tons of goods were delivered, especially from the Dutch East Indies. Also hundreds of thousands of planters, businessmen, soldiers, officials and adventurers with and their families moved to the Dutch East Indies as well as others place of Dutch colony. The passenger ships, such as MS Orange, Ms. Johan van Barneveld and Ms. Marnix van St. Aldegonde, were known for their luxury and comfort for that time. SMN ended their operation on January 20th, 1970, while its merded with three other companies to form the Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Unie (NSU). NSU later changed its name into Koninklijke Nedlloyd or simply known as Nedlloyd, until now.