Aboekasan Atmodirono (1860 – 1920), the first architect from Indonesia

Aboekasan Atmodirono

Today we commemorating 104th of National Awakening Days. Despite the controvercies about the dates that stated as this national days, as the Semarang people, I’d like to share one’s of Semarang people who also contributing in the new way of struggle aiming the independence of Indonesia. Through education and his skills he opened the colonialist eyes that the indigenous people also able to have an ability as they have. He was Aboekasan Atmodirono (1860 – 1920), the first architect from Indonesia.

Admodirono Street, on
Central Semarang Sub-District

Atmodirono, graduated from Middelbare Technische School and successfully gained degree as an opzichter(supervisor). Known well as the dedicated person in his field of job, and his European friends granted him as de eerste inlandse architect (the first Indigenous architect), in the decades of ‘10 he serve in Departement van Burgerlijke Openbare Werken (Departement of Public Works) in Batavia. As the progressive movement of nationalism, Atmodirono also took part on it and joined in 1st Boedi Oetomo Congress and listed as one’s of chairperson candidates. When the Dutch-Indies government establishing voolksraad as the answer of the indigenous people aspiration of indigenous people political status, Atmodirono selected as one’s of the indigenous people representatives from Boedi Oetomo organization and also as the representatives from civil service of indigenous people association called “Mangoenhardjo”.

He died in 1920, and its little bit difficult to observe his life deeper. His name nowadays immortalized as the one’s of the road name in the area central Semarang district. His sketch of architecture posted as a book by R.A. van Sandick in 1921 and titled Levensschets van M.A Atmodirono.