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| Landraad Semarang in 1904 taken from its backyard. Later the backyard built into Weeskamer building in 1907. (source: Leiden University Library) |
Something that I love from learning history is that this subject were really dynamic. An acknowledgement about an events, about places, everythings in history could be change everytime when peoples reveals something new. Like a bunch of mistery to solved,We’ll never end to digging everythings related to history, there’s millions of opportunity it will find something new. All of the things actually start with one things, curiousity!
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| Landraad location depicted in a 1909 map. (source: Leiden University Library) |
Just like what I found recently, about the building so-called Landraad, one’s of the court that set by colonial government in the old days. There’s a building in Kota Lama that known as the former Landraad buildings. Now the building turns into fancy restaurant and one’s of the favourite dinner place in the city of Semarang. The restaurant for sure servings the combination of good food and also 19th centuries antique environments.
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| The zoom of the landraad building. there's a sign in the wall written "Zaal van den Landraad" and the dungeon cells its also. (source: Leiden University Library) |
Landraad basicaly is a superior court for the Non-Europeans peoples. Indigenous peoples under the area ruled by colonial government and other so-called natives and Foreign Orientals, including the Chinese were became its subject. Landraad have been established in all capitals of Kabupaten (eng: Regencies) and in few other centres. They hold sessions weekly and are composed of jurist, who is the chairman, of the Bupati (eng: Regent) and of such important indigenous chiefs as have been appointed as members by or on behald of the Governor-General. The indigenous persons who make it a profession to give legal assistance were up to short time ago as a rule known very unfavourably. They had little or no knowledge of law and many of them were only there in order to promote litigation or to provoke existing action. Then, its always makes me wonder, that this building is too fancy to be a court, especialy during the old days when the indigenous peoples were treated as derde klasse people’s, as an Inlander.
In every map, I hardly found any statement that this place once used as Landraad. Even more, I found that Landraad were located in Boebakan Weg (now Jalan Bubakan), about 500 meters to the souths. Misplaced? Thats what I thought for the first time. But then I strongly believed that its 100% misplaced, after I found out that this building, that once believed as Landraad actually is Landgerecht building, also kind of court but different purpose as well as its subject. Landgerecht is a court for petty criminals that established in 1914 replacing the role of Politierol that abolished in 1901. Landraad Semarang location is nearby the Central Gevangenis (eng: Central Prison) and its have its own dungeon cells also. Its totaly make senses due to people who prosecuted in Landraad is the peoples with serious criminal case. A famous figures from the nationalist movements, Mas Marco Kartodikromo got His 8 months of jail sentenced here, in Landraad Semarang on 1916. I believes much more peoples from the nationalist movements were prosecuted here, due to Semarang at that time became the most progresives city for the nationalist activism, one's of the reason is the revival of Sarekat Islam afdeeling Semarang. But unfortunately, this building that has an important historical values was gone and even its surroundings totaly changed. The Central Gevangenis, Landraad and also Weeskamer buildings that once in one complex were demolished once its became a theme park called Taman Hiburan Diponegoro, simply known as THD. THD then declining in early 90’s decade and changed into shopping complex until today.
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