De Zikel (Marba) Building, One Stop Shopping Services in the Old Days

An illustration made by Frits van Bemmel around 1930 depicting the crowd on the old model of self-service stores in East-Indies. (source: http://www.collectiontrade.nl/)

De Zikel Stores on 1920 (source: Leiden University Library)

Semarang as a main harbour city in Central Java region seems so attractive for the new businesses. Also for a Hamburg born entrepreneur, Adolf Zikel the founder of Toko Zikel & Co. , which believed as the first department store in Semarang. Adolf Zikel with His brothers, Bernhard Zikel, founded Zikel & Co. in the early 20th century, and in Semarang they start their shop by purchasing the former Genie-Atelier (Military Engineering Workshop) on the corner of the Heerenstraat, nowadays Jalan Letjend Suprapto  in the main artery of Kota Lama (Old Town)of  Semarang whereas was the main business district in the city of Semarang.  Long before Semarang, Adolf Zikel started His business in Medan, as its written in the articles of Bataviasch Nieuwsblad in December 16th 1890 when He sue His employee for a fraud in His shops in Medan which handled by Raad van Justitie (high court) of Medan.  But still unknown, when He’s started His business in Indonesia, or at that time was Dutch Indies.

The initial Toko Zikel in Semarang, bought by Zikel brothers to set up their shops in 1902. The buildings before was used as a Genie-Atelier, a workshop for Military Engineering Department. (souce: Leiden University Library)

Zikel & Co. seems gained success in Semarang, its even has its branch in Bandung, also in its main business district, in Groote Postweg or currently known as Jalan Asia Afrika. In 1906, they were not only act as a local shop, but took it to the next level as importer. Zikel & Co transform into NV. Impot Maatschappij Zikel & Co with the initial capital of 1000 Guilders, more than USD 55.000 in todays money.  But in that announcement  which published in Bataviasch Nieuwsblad dated December 5th 1906, it seems that Adolf were no longer involved in the business as His name not mentioned there, only Bernhard and Carl Zikel. Such an interesting name with this Zikel families? Since its start with Adolf, then Bernhard and Carl, which when we take initial of their name will be A B C Zikel, lol.

Adolf Zikel seems back to Europe prior His retirement, as in a obituary in one’s of the local newspaper in Nijmegen, Netherlands, Adolf was died there in 1919 and the obituary was presented by Bernhard and Carl Zikel. Zikel & Co. later in the 1920’s decade built its famous building right in the “heart” of the Kota Lama Semarang. A two story buildings with remarkable wall of an exposed red bricks, with a neoclassic style combined with tropical architecture soon become one’s of the notable building surround it. The buildings of Toko Zikel appears many times in the postcard issued about Semarang during colonial period, mostly taken from the east and its perfectly depicted Zikel & Co. with Koepelkerk and the old buildings of Borsumij with its famous gevel that changed into a simple art-deco style in 1939.

De Zikel or Marba Building on 2008.

De Zikel & Co or simply known at that time as Toko Zikel provides so many stuffs on their shop and mainly its imported stuffs. They provides stuffs from fashion, sportswares, housewares, groceries and even furnitures. Its fashion stuffs that provides for man, women, childern and babies was following the trends that emerged from times to times  which used mannequins to display it, something that consider as sophisticated at that time. The economic disasters in 1930’s that brought the period known as Great Depression also affected to the fate of this company. Mainly since during the period, the purchasing power were declined. Its indeed for Toko Zikel which provided such a luxury goods, this circumstances were disastrous.  The company then went into bankruptcy in 1932, and its announce to sell their property also in the same year.

The next owner of the building after its sold? There’s still no records about it, but perhaps the Yemenite businessman, Martha Badjunet, which then the buildings was bear His name as Marba, the acronym of His name. Today the building well-known as Marba , rather than Zikel and for its initial building in the corner of Jalan Letjend Suprapto, its more unrecognized as one’s of Toko Zikel buildings, as its not as famous as it which located in the centrum, nearby Taman Srigunting or before was Paradeplein, a park which as consider as main destination in Kota Lama Semarang.

The Early Hospital in Semarang (Part I) : St. Elisabeth Hospital

Elisabeth Ziekenhuis, or now known as RS St. Elisabeth around 1947 (source: sepatoeroesak.nl)

In the city of Semarang in early 1920's there's only 2 hospitals, Central Burgelijk Zienkenhuis (CBZ), which is a government hospital (now RS dr.Kariadi) and Juliana Zienkenhuis which is a privately owned hospital (now RS Bhakti Wira Tamtama). At that time, both hospitals are no longer able to accommodate the patient who increasing significantly by the presence of various types of disease outbreaks that often hit the city of Semarang and claimed many casualties. Its really need one new hospital to built to overcome the problem.

A Dutch soldier being treated at Elisabeth Ziekenhuis,
the photos taken on 1947 (source: sepatoeroesak.nl) 

According to RS St. Elisabeth official sites its written that the sisters of the catholic brotherhood St.Francis in Semarang strive to accomplish their goals to establish a new hospital in Semarang. Well, the preparation itself is begun a couple years before by collecting funds from the noblemen in Semarang municipal government and from the center of the Sisters of St. Francis. On 3 September 1923 the funds used to purchase land former Chinese cemetery in the area covering 34.000 in the Nieuw Tjandi(Candi Baru) Region, with beautiful landscape, and quiet area(at that time actually, now is so crowd,haha) it’s a best place for a the hospital. Since laying the first stone on March 9, 1926 by Mgr.APF Van Velsen SJ, the development is carried out by three contractors Ir.Karsten, Ir.Zoetmulder, Ir.Peters and Ir. Keliverda. Prices of building materials has increased remarkable during Ir.Kersten development, so that required substantial additional funding. But finally, the building construction is completed on August 8, 1927. Various preparation for the inauguration held among others by placing 50 beds and other equipment. On October 18, 1927, St. Elisabeth Hospital was officially opened by Mgr. Van Velsen, SJ, accompanied by Fr. P. Hoeberechts, SJ and Mr.Van Gulk, the Resident of Semarang City. (Source:St.Elizabeth official page)

A ward on St. Elizabeth Ziekenhuis
(source: sepatoeroesak.nl)

The hospital continue to serve the people until the Japanese occupation in 1942, whereas this hospital was taken over and used as a military office. Well, at that time, all of the Dutchman were sent to the Internment camp. In Semarang City itself the Internment camp was established in Lamper Region, Bangkong(on the Sedes Sapientiae Senior High School), Halmahera Region, and so on. The Dutch nuns from the St.Elisabeth hospital also being taken and 9 of them died in the camp. Folowing Japanese surender in 1945, the St. Elisabeth opened again on 1 September 1945 in a state of disarray and lack of energy. But since the Semarang city was controlled strongly by the Dutch troops during the Independence War of Indonesia, the hospital also become one’s of the important hospital for the Dutch troops. After the war was over in 1949, the St.Elizabeth hospital continued to serve da people and together with the others hospitals in Semarang, providing the best healthcare to the society.

Paul Acket (source: wartajazz)

There's a interesting story about this hospital related with Jazz. How come?Well, this hospital become the born place of the founder of Rotterdam North Sea Jazz Festival, Paul Acket. According to the story Mr.Sambudi in Jazzngisoringin session, Paul Acket's parents actually residenced a plantation in Pemalang City, a city 135km to the west from Semarang. When the time to engender is come closer, since, the medical support is not as good as in Semarang city so Paul Acket's parent decided to go to Semarang by train and engender their babies in St.Elizabeth Hospital.

Paul was not alone, beside him, there's also famous jazz figure born in this hospital. In 1950, this hospital also become the born place of Daniel Sahuleka, the famous Jazz artist. 2 weeks later, little Daniel with their families moved to Winterswijk, Netherlands, a land where he grow up and start his career as musician.

Maybe, Paul and Daniel is just one of a thousand stories related with this hospital. Well, do u have any stories too? Lets share :)

Purworejo, My Childhood City

Van Laar Junction (Tugu PKK). Its named after Van Laar, because of once there's a Hotel near there named
Van Laar 

The cloudy sky this evening make my mind remember about the sky in my childhood city, Purworejo. I was in Purworejo from 1991(whan I was born, hehe) until 1996. But the memories was so strong in my mind, especially whan my mom’s took me to that city last years to accompany her to visiting her friends in SMP Negeri 1 Purworejo, well that junior high school was her past work place. So, I’m gonna tell y’all about the stories of my childhood city.

Purworejo Train Station

The history of Purworejo when I search in wikipedia.org is firstly known as the part of Ancient-Mataram Kingdom based on Kayu Ara Hiwang inscriptions found in the village of Boro Wetan (Subdistrict of Banyuurip), if converted to the Gregorian calendar is dated October 5th, 901 AD, showed that its has been a settlement before that date. Bujangga Manik a Pakuan Kingdom(ancient kingdom in West Java)voyager, on his journey allegedly that he pass through this area on his way home from Bali to Pakuan,. The Journey is at 15^th century.

In the Sultanate of Mataram until the 19th century it is probably better known as Bagelen Well, currently Bagelen even just a subdistrict in the district and it has a big market called pasar bagelen, a famous market on that region. I’m still remember when I was child I’ve a friends who coming from that region.

The Town Square of Purworejo, its could be seen
in the distance the GPIB church, ones of the old
building landmarks in Purworejo

After the Duchy of Bagelen submitted his mastery to the Dutch East Indies by the Sultanate of Yogyakarta (due to the Diponegoro War), the region is merged into the residency of Kedu and become district. The Dutch Government under Van Den Bosch (the Governoor-General) built a new settlement, named Purworejo as a center of government (until now) with the Dutch town planning design engineer, while still taking the elements of Javanese tradition. This new city is a city of military barracks, and a number of Dutch troops from the Gold Coast (now Ghana), West Africa, known as Black Dutch settlements centered here.Its interesting that there were a large settlement of Dutch Negro Corps in Purworejo. The people aways call them as belanda hitam or translate as Black Dutchman. But until now, I cant find the rest of them, maybe they just leave for a long time, but to comemmorating the settlement there was a street named, jalan afrika (eng:africa st) in the region that in the past is become the settlement of this belanda hitam.

Well, the old city must have an old building too. When I’ve my trip there, some old buildings are still well maintained and stylish Indisch used up to now, such as the military complex near Ksatrian (my family past residence), masjid Jami 'Purworejo (dated 1834), housing regent, and the church beside my childhood kindergaten, the GPIB church. My city also become the birthplace of the famous people like, Jan Toorop (Famous Dutch Artist) A.J.G.H. Kostermans (Botanical expert), Johan Hendrik Caspar Kern ( Dutch Linguistic expert), Oerip Soemohardjo (Independence Heroes), and so on. Wish I could be as famous as them. Every javanesse city has its own square in the middle of cities. Also in Purworejo, it has a square, covering an area of 6 hectares, and is reputedly the largest in Java. Well, I really missed my childhood city, so bad.

Bedug Pendowo, finished in 1840 and was the largest bedug
 in Central Java in the past

The NILLMIJ Building, The First Modern-Style Buliding in Semarang

The office of Nederlandsch-Indische Levensverzekering en Lijfrente Maatschappij (NILLMIJ) in 1920.
(source: tropenmuseum)

Yesterday, my Friends, who coming from outside Semarang city and have studied here said, ‘I love this city very much”. When I asked why? He just replied that He felt such an unique atmosphere that he dont get it in his hometown, thats the power of acculturation, the blended between the old and modern. Well, that was totaly true. I also really love this city and the stories inside this city. Like here, in Kota Lama (old town) and its surrounding are interested to be investigated, hehe…though i’m not an professional historian, but i’ve tried to seek an information about the building in Kota Lama, even the building itself its already changed or broken down.

(source: skycrapecity)

So, now i’m gonna share about the first modern-architecture bilding that bulit in the Semarang city, that is the NILLMIJ Building or now known as Gedung Jiwasraya . At that time, in the early of 1910’s, there is a changed of building style, from indisch architecture into tropic-artdeco style architecture. The Office of NILLMIJ (Nederlandsch Indische Leven Sverzeking De Lifrente Maatschappij) is the first building in Semarang that built by its tropic-artdeco style architecture. Built by architect named Thomas Karsten (famous architect at that time) in 1916's.The buliding built in the front face of Koepelskerk (Blenduk Church), and Parade’s plein (Srigunting Park).

The NILLMIJ building has a typical of tropical-artdeco architecture with a small dome in the middle of the roof of the building. The building was symmetrical with the entrance located in the middle. If we observe closely, this building not facing the highway, but the oblique facing the Koepelskerk and Paradesplein, its just because karsten want to get the impression that this building oversee both the building (the church and park). The building was the first building in Semarang city with concrete material to form it, so its also one of the reason that this is the first modern-style buliding, beside viewed from its architectural design. Here's also the first building who using lift in Dutch-Indie.

The NILLMIJ or now known as Asuransi Jiwasraya
building taken from the north side.

Following the nationaization of the colonial assets, the building become the ofice of PT.Asuransi Jiwasraya after the Independence of Indonesia around 50's decades, but its still preserve as the first time been built. The open space in the front without wall, and open corridor in the form of a window, adorn the entire front facade of the building with the amount of 8 windows in each building wing, 4 windows at ground floor and 4 windows on the first floor. The window is protected cantilever to reduce incoming sunlight into the room. Above each window there is a big bouven with ornaments in the form of concrete orders. In front of the building there’s an open space in front of the bulding and there is a small park to reduce the harsh impression on the landscape surround it.

In 2002 the renovation of repairs and repainting damaged walls to make this building looks more clean and beautiful. Its already more than 90 years, but the building still strong existed in the old town, and become the eyewitness about the journey of insurance bussiness in Semarang city.