Trace Back The Semarang City Tram History

The participant of Lopen Semarang events "Telusur Jalur Trem" taking photo together in front of former head office of Semarang Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij (SJS) in Pengapon, Semarang. Behind this building once are existed the main SJS werkplaats (eng: workshop), but now is already un-used and abandoned. (photos by: Adityo Cahyo)

Semarang, in the late of 19^th century was growth into one’s of the important city in Dutch-Indies, a main port city with trade and services based. The people soon comes into this city, wishing  to get the better job and welfare. This urbanization flow makes Semarang density were increasing from time to time, thus a better city transportation were urgently needed. This challenge were answered by NV. Semarang Joana Stoomtram Maatschappij (SJS), a steam tram operator company that got the concession from the colonial government to served the needs of public transportation in the city of Semarang until Juwana. The president of SJS, Mr. H. M. A. Baron van Der Goes van Dirxland got this concession via Besluit van den Gouverneur-Generaal No.5 dated March 18^th 1881. Soon, the historical moment came on December 1^st 1881 when its inaugurated the first line of the city tram service between Jurnatan Station until Jomblang Station.

The map depicted the city tram lines in Semarang
on 1913. (source: Leiden University Library)

This first line extending along 4.4 KM from through the Mataram Weg (Now Jalan MT. Haryono). The citizen of Semarang were amused to this new kind of transportation technology. But new technology always broght a funny stories at the beginning. Liem Thian Joe, a famous journalist wrotes that the natives and the Chinese are believed that this kind of vehicle were moved by intangible creatures, and it needs a human sacrifice. Thus, they never let their kids going outside in the evening, afraid of they’ll be taken by the creatures. But soon this rumours were disappeared together with the important role of this means. On March 3^rd 1883 its inaugurated the two new lines, there are Jurnatan Station until Bulu Station, through the Aloon-Aloon (City Square) and Bodjong Weg (Now Jalan Pemuda), also from Jurnatan Station until Samarang NIS Station, the major railway station at that time that also the first railway station in Dutch-Indies, later Indonesia.  Then on July 2^nd 1883 its inaugurated the line from Jurnatan Station until the new harbor, and the last is on November 4^th 1899 when its inaugurated the line between Bulu Station until Bandjir Kanaal West Station, through Boeloe Weg (Now Jalan Mgr. Soegijopranoto). Besides the station, this tram line were served by several stopplats (eng: Tram Stop) there are in Kemijen, Aloen-Aloen Semarang, Bodjong, Karangturi and Bangkong.

The tram services in Semarang city by SJS were using the B12 series locomotives, produced by NV. Werkspoor from Netherlands and also the same type produced by Beyer-Peacock, England. This locomotief have classification as 0-4-0 locomotives, which 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven. The rail used the 1067 mm gauge, common gauge for Indonesian Railways, and above it the tram could reach its maximum speed of 25 km/hours. One’s of the B12 series locomotive now is preserved as a monument, in front of Pasar Turi Station, Surabaya.

The Djomblang Station on 1915. Its also depicted on the picture
the B12 locomotives series by NV. Werkspoor, Netherlands.
(source: Leiden University Library)

Hmmm, why its in Surabaya? Well the stories goes on. The development of the city tram in Semarang were not as good as in the other city like Batavia (Jakarta) and Surabaya, which also electrified in the beginning of 20^th century. The city tram development in Semarang were getting stucks, its still using the steam power that needs the teak wood, which is the price are expensive, as its firing. Then on the 1940, the Gemeenteraad (eng: City Council) of Semarang decided to closed the city tram operation. Its gained a mass protest among the Semarang citizen but the policy are goes on. Then the locomotives and the trains that once used to serviced the city tram in Semarang, were moved into the Surabaya. That’s why now, one’s of them are preserved in Pasar Turi station, Surabaya.

Lawang Sewu, De Voormalig NIS Kantooren

The Office of  Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij (NIS) or known as Lawang Sewu as it appears on 1930 and a medallion with the logo of NIS, issued as the NIS 50th anniversary on 1913.
(Source: Leiden University Library (photos)| devrieze (medallion)) 

Lawang Sewu or literally translated as the thousand door, is a most famous colonial heritage building in Semarang. The reason behind the name was the massives amount of its leaf doors. Together with Gereja Blenduk (Koepelkerk), Lawang Sewu also became a landmark of Semarang, although its really struggled to bear its reputation as one’s of the most haunted place in Semarang since its been neglected for dozen of years. The spooky reputation also widely known after a TV Shows of Dunia Lain, a cult hit in Indonesian reality show about intangible world that has a special part of Uji Nyali or test of courage. Here in Lawang Sewu in 2006, consider as the most terrifying episodes since these intangible creatures was appeared in on screen! Then its started to encourage people to experienced the same things here. Creepy!

Lawang Sewu inner courtyard in 2007, currently the building was empty
and badly neglected after the last time its in active used was in 1996.  

Then of course it has reduced the historical values of the building, people were not interested to how its built, how the story behind, or anything related to the heritage but the ghost story. The historical fact behind Lawang Sewu for me is far more interesting than those creepy story that most of the time been overrated. The building was an headquarters of Nederlandsch Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij (NIS), the leading of railway company in Netherlands East Indie, present-day Indonesia. NIS also the first company that established railway connection in Netherlands East Indie that connected Semarang-Tanggung in 1867. The company then succesfully established railway connection in from Semarang-Solo-Yogyakarta, included its branch route to Ambarawa in 1873.In the following year the railway line developed rapidly. In 1893, built the Yogyakarta - Brosot route that serves the network of sugar factory in the south, as well as Yogyakarta - Ambarawa route through Magelang and Secang with its famous rackrailway. The last route was built from Gundih to Surabaya Pasar Turi railway line along 245 kilometers. The rapid growth of NIS's rail network, by itself is followed by the increase number of employees. Thus the NIS office in Samarang station, no longer adequate to serves the vast growth of its employes. Then its started to plans the freshly new building as its new headquarters.

A city tram of Semarang passing through the Bodjong Weg, present-day
Jalan Pemuda that located in the north of Lawang Sewu.
(source: Tropenmuseum)

Two Dutch architect was appointed to design this new NIS headquarters, they were Professor Jakob F. Klinkhamer and BJ Ouendag.  The design was a two story building with a bit traditionalism style influence, a style that really emerge in Dutch architecture sphere during that period.  The design also referring to the tropical architectural design which its surrounded by a front and back hallway to protect buildings from direct sunlight as well as the raindrop during the rain season which most of the time will be very intense in the tropical area. As the NIS is a railway company, Klinkhamer and Ouendag try to response it into their design by placing the connecting door in the same lines between the room that made its look like in the train couch.

Klinkhamer and Ouendag never came to Semarang to execute the plans, but they appointed an in-house architect D.W. Hinse to carry out the building progress. On 27 February 1904, the first stone was laid down and soon Hinse found out that the ground condition was not good enough for the structure. He proposed an soil improvements and hardly convince the NIS board to fulfill His demand since its quite costly. But Hinse prevailed to convince them, so He execute His ideas to dug the areas of the construction 4 meters  deep and filled with vulcanic sands from surround Merapi mountain, the most active vulcano in Java. Later, this was the reason of the strength of the building that could last for more than hundreds year without any significant structure damage after all this time.

beautiful stained glass decoration in the main hall,
made by J.L. Schouten from the studio "Prinsenhof"
in the city of Delft

During the construction period, around 300 workers are deployed every day. The materials was also brought in directly from the Europe, such as its roof-tile and glazure bricks that cames from Venlo, Netherlands and the granite was imported from granite quarries in the mountains of Fichtel, Bavaria, Germany. About 350 m3 of granite stone has been carefully cut in mining location according to the size in the picture, so that when arriving in Semarang its ready to installed without any adjustments was necessary. Also, its very beautiful stained glass decoration in the main hall, made by J.L. Schouten from the studio "Prinsenhof" in the city of Delft. On July 1, 1907, the NIS office was completed, and its inaugurated without a big ceremony, only a simple selamatan was carry out as its part of the Javanese tradition to start a something new. On the 1916, NIS built a new building in the back to accomodate the number of employers. But the building was more modest and simple compare to the first building since its already used the concrete structure. Its completed in 1918 and became the last building to be built in the Lawang Sewu complex.