Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI) and its Relation with Semarang

De Koninklijke Ned. Indische Motor Club around and the badges of this association.
(photos source: Krisna Wariyan | badges: livaauctioneers)

Next months, on May 2-4^th 2013, in Semarang will be held a gathering of the bikers from all around Indonesia here in the event called Tugu Muda Bike Week. Such a big events because I heard that more than a thousand bikers would participate here. The organizer of this event is the bikers community well known as Ikatan Motor Besar Indonesia (IMBI). The IMBI were part of the Indonesia Automotive Association well known as Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI). IMI itself were nationalization from Indonesische Motor Club (IMC) during the Dutch Indies era, and the headquarters are in Semarang!

On March 27th, 1906, here established Javasche Motor Club (JMC) in Semarang. The JMC headquarters itself located in Bodjong, nowadays is  Jalan Pemuda and used by Bank Mandiri as cafeteria. Then in 1912, there’s a lot of aspiration to  reorganize the Java Engine Club and to found an association for the whole of Java. The first step in this direction was obtained by connecting the Java Engine Club and the Semarang Automobile Club. The Secretariat of the Java Engine Club was transferred to Semarang from Surabaya after the merger accomplished. In the end 1912 finally its established De Koninklijke Nederladsch Indie Motor Club (KNIMC) and took the headquarters in the west side of Jurnatan Station, Semarang. Thanks for Semarang Photo Archives for makes me easily trace back the location through their map on wikimapia.

After the transfer of souvereignity, KNIMC also taken over by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and become Indonesische Motor Club (IMC). In 1950 the name changed to Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI) until now. Following the centralization policy, the headquarters moved into Jakarta. Until 1968, IMI occupies several rooms of the Office of the City of Exim Bank before its finally got a place in the right wing of Tennis Stadium, in Senayan Sport Complex, Jakarta.

The former headquarters in Semarang itself? Its demolished around 1986 together with the demolization of Jurnatan Station and Bank of Taiwan building. For me it’s once of the biggest loss related to the historical heritage, and for those who following Tugu Muda Bike Week 2013, they must know that here in Semarang, formerly was the main headquarters  of the KNIMC. Maybe, based from the history, the headquarters could be back to here, considering the Jakarta situation were uncomfortable anymore because of this high density problems. Well who knows? ;)

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! ;)