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. 

Meet Om Jongkie Tio, Semarang Story Teller & Writer

Me and my friends with Om Jongkie Tio, the author of Semarang Kota Kenangan book, in His residence that also a retaurant named Semarang International Garden and Family Restaurant.

What a December! After the event of Pameran Koloniale Tetoonstlelling successfully held, me and my friends who were volunteer are invited to the residence of Jongkie Tio, a famous story teller and writer about Semarang City. I know him from His book, Semarang Kota Kenangan that published when I’m still in Elementary School, on 2000. This book, for me is the first source that make up my mind, how rich my city is. Plenty of Semarang historical building and events are written in this book. 

Visiting His home on Jalan Gajahmada, who functioned also as a restaurant named Semarang International Garden and Family Restaurant, the atmosphere of Tempo Doeloe is so strong. The memorabilia, starts from old photos, radio, lamp, etc are well-decorated the reataurant.  We treats well by Om Jongkie, with His restaurant best food and beverages also with shared a lots of story related to the history and culture in Semarang, mostly about the relation of Chinese and the indigenous people. From His story, we know a lots of fact, like the committee that composed the foundation of Republic Indonesia, nine of them were Chinese descendant. Also like a fact that Admiral Cheng Ho were never landed in Semarang, only their crew who were landed in this city, He only observe from his ship, the main ship that command hundreeds of chinesse explorer fleet. He also share how difficult it was He photographs and exploring the story behind a building or kampoong under Soeharto regime. Even for several times He expelled from a kampoong, because of racial sentiments of chinese descendants, whereas He purposed to documenting the kampoong itself for the preservation, how ironic it is!

The reclame kiosk on the Chinatown, Semarang
taken on 2007

Then, I asked something that I never knew the story behind it, a tube shaped monument with a hexagon-shaped in the top of its, that located in pecinan (eng: Chinatown) and old town. He replied that, “That is not a monument, that is a reclame kiosk, a place for the people patch the advertising, so it wouldn’t patched randomly, in the wall of the building for example”. Well, the mistery has just revealed, also He said that the only one reclame kiosk that stil in genuine shaped is in pecinan. Genuine form its height for sure, cause the others in old town, is already “sinked” cause the elevation made by the city municipial, related to the flood and sea intrusions problems.

This dinner and all of the sharing time with Om Jongkie Tio, were made me felt so happy and believe , through history, we could build the understanding among the people from different background. Also, I realized that this city needs a lot of people who cares about the culture and history preservation. As the time goes by, a lots of old building also, local culture were disappeared, we as the young generation, never let it happened again, don’t we? People like Om Jongkie have a high expectation among the youth to continues what He do, to preserve the history and culture, specifically about Semarang city. So what are we waiting for? Let us do something to preserve it, and I believe in quotes, “Even the smallest people could change the course of the future”.  Lets Act! and thanks a lot for Om Jongkie anyway :)

The reclame kiosk, in the junction near Du Pavillion (now, Dibya Puri) Hotel (1929). (source: skycrapercity)