Where is The Exact Place of De Locomotief Office?

De Locomotief office that situated in Hoogendorpstraat 20-22 just like its written in its headlines (see the inzet). Hoogendorpstraat currently became Jalan Kepodang, and this photos is taken on 2007, long before the 2nd floor part is collapsed in early of 2015.

De Locomotief was the first newspaper published in Semarang. It was established in the middle of 19th century and led by Pieter Brooshooft, an ethical political activist. The daily was originally named Semarangsch Nieuws en Advertentieblad. In 1863 it was renamed De Locomotief, after the passage of the first train in Semarang. The paper was closed, but in 1947 De Locomotief was re-opened again. According to Rukardi Achmadi, a notable Semarang historian In 1957 due to the Indonesian confrontation with the Dutch related to the Papua Barat (eng:West Guinea) issue , the newspaper was closed and the building was taken over by Tempo Media Group, and there they runs the newspaper named Suluh Marhaen until its banned by the government under Soeharto regime on 1966 due to its political affiliations. 

De Locomotief office condition, shortly after I got information about the exact
place of this from Indische Literarire Wandelingen but its already in ruins.

Trace back De Locomotief office, Senarai Bangunan dan Kawasan Pusaka Kota Semarang (List of the Heritage Building and Area in Semarang) issued in 2006 stated that the building currently used as Bank Mandiri KCP Kepodang. Its a national bank branch that situated in the crossroad between Jalan Kepodang and Jalan Suari. Then in wikipedia.org, also stated that place is supposed to be the location of De Locomotief Hoofdredactie. But if we check through the photo’s archive  of KITLV and Tropenmuseum either. The building that currently used as Bank Mandiri KCP Kepodang isn’t the De Locomotief daily office. Its a Nederlandsch Indische Handelsbank, a Dutch private bank that established in 1863 and nationalized by the Indonesian government in 1957 and renamed into Bank Umum Negara (BUNEG). BUNEG then changed its name into Bank Bumi Daya and following the major restructurisation of the national banking company in 1999, Bank Bumi Daya mergered with three others bank, Bank EXIM, BAPINDO and Bank Dagang Negara formed Bank Mandiri. Thus the asset now belongs to Bank Mandiri. So its became clear that building isn’t De Locomotief office. 

Inside the ruins of De Locomotief building. On the
opposite is the former office of one's of the largest
export-import company during the colonial period
Geo Wehry & Co.

In the headlines of De Locomotief its written that the address of the office is in Hoogendorpstraat 20-22, Semarang. Currently the place that used to be named as Hoodendorpstraat is changed into Jalan Kepodang, but the problem is, is it the numbering of the building still following the numbering during the colonial period? Then in June 2015, I got the answer!  A website named “Indische Literaire Wandelingen” doing the documentation of several building in Kota Lama (eng: old town) Semarang. Its seems like they do it in the 90’s decade (seen from the photos and comparation of the condition of the building), and there, they written about De Locomotief office is located in Jalan Kepodang 20-22, so the numbering  is just the same as during the colonial period.

Unfortunately, when I got there to make a documentation, the 2nd floor part is already collapsed! What a pity! The owner took the teak wood of the 2nd floor, because of some of its got stolen before. Its became a fatality due to the construction of the building still in the old ways, that floor is also use a function as wall holder. Then during our wet season, the wall getting fragiled and collapsed. Only the 1st floor is remained, like a ruins in World War 2 film scene.  Luckily i have a documentation about this building in 2007, but I take it from a bit far distance. At least, I can show to the people how’s look like, De Locomotief  office. A place where ethical politics figure like Conrad Theodore van Deventer struggled for the better condition of the indigenous people of Indonesia through the newspaper. Without De Locomotief activities, I simply cant imagined about how the history of Indonesia would written. Surely its a really important building as a part of our struggle for independence, but now its forgotten and slowly perished.

NB. This article firstly published on November 9th 2012, but then due to these new fact about the exact position of the De Locomotief office, so I completely change the old version of the articles. 

Semarangsche Spaarbank, The First Saving Bank in Dutch-Indies

The current condition of Semarangsche Spaarbank office buildings in Jalan Kepodang 2-4, Semarang 

In 1887, Semarangsche Spaarbank inaugurated their new office buildings which designed by G.L. Verver, an Enginer an also a Mathematics teacher in Hogere Burger School (HBS) of Semarang. The buildings of old H.B.S. Semarang then used as Sekolah Menegah Atas (SMA) Negeri 3 Semarang after independence of Indonesia till today, an high school that equivalent with H.B.S levels actualy. The construction of the building were handled by  F.L. Mahlerwein  as the contractor and costs 10.440 gulden. It takes five months for F.L. Mahlerwein to completed the construction. The Semarangsche Spaarbank office that located in Hogendoorpstraat, present day Jalan Kepodang was mentioned in De Locomotief newspaper in 1887 that the office of Semarangsche Spaarbank consider as most beautiful buildings in town! 

Semarangsche Spaarbank itself were a saving bank which initiated by The Vrijmetselarij (Freemasonry) a well-known fraternity organization to help the people with financial problem and keep them out of hands of the loan sharks. This kind of saving bank was the first to be established in Nederlans-Indie, present day of Indonesia as its mentioned in indischeliterairewandelingen.nl sites "De spaarbank te Semarang is de oudste van alle spaarbanken in Nederland-Indie". 

Semarangsche Spaarbank in 1910. (source: Leiden University Library)

Semarang among the earliest cities in Dutch-Indies to be established the Freemasonry organization. The organization seems to spread quickly around the world, together with the spirit of French Revolution, Liberte, Egalite, and Fraternite. Freemasonry despite its popularity among the conspiracy theory enthusiast, actualy only a common fraternity organization which have an aim to connecting people and hand-in-hand to overcomes social problems without considering any race, religion institutions, and political backgrounds. The place of freemasonry gathering called lodge, and Semarang established its lodge in 1789 named La Constanta et Fidele, means faithfuly forever. 

After the independence of Indonesia, Semarangsche Spaarbank continues its operation.  In 1952, their office have major renovation, and its  looks like to welcoming their 100 years anniversary in 1953. Semarangsche Spaarbank is difference from Postpaarbank, which is nationalized and became Bank Tabungan Negara (BTN). But the fate of the Semarangsche Spaarbank is just the same, following the high tension between the government of Indonesia and Netherlands toward the West Papua issues, the Semarangsche Spaarbank also nationalized by the Indonesian Government. The building itself then owned by CIMB Niaga Bank, and once became the headquarters of this bank for Semarang branchs. But then its moved and the building neglected till todays. The office of Semarangsche Spaarbank that once mentioned to be the most beautiful building in Semarang, today seems in the opposite sides of that.