Historian helps preserve heritage<\/p>\n
Indra Harsaputra, Surabaya<\/p>\n
Dukut Imam Widodo displayed his small red notebook before
\nspeaking at length about his works, notably Surabaya Tempo Dulu
\n(Old Surabaya) and Gresik Tempo Dulu (Old Gresik).<\/p>\n
It was because the little book helped him considerably in
\npreparing his stories, including the Surabaya history book
\npublished in 2002.<\/p>\n
Rather than historical data, the notebook contains Dukut's
\nweekly schedules, daily expenses, main points noted, subject
\nmaterial and important documents to gather, and even allowances
\nfor volunteers, mostly students working for him.<\/p>\n
\"I arrange all my activities because I have many engagements,\"
\nDukut told The Jakarta Post. This explains why it is not easy to
\nsee him unless an appointment is made. While busily collecting
\ndata for his third book (after Gresik) due out in mid-2005,
\nMalang Tempo Dulu, he is also working with a Japanese company.<\/p>\n
As general affairs section manager of PT Smelting, a
\nMitsubishi affiliate operating in copper smelting and refining,
\nDukut Imam Widodo leaves his home at 6 a.m. and finishes his
\noffice work at 10 p.m. \"I spend most of my time in the office but
\nI write when I'm off-duty,\" he said.<\/p>\n
When he writes, there is hardly any leisure time left for his
\nfamily. He keeps writing, except when he accepts invitations to
\nseminars, talk shows or meetings with his peers at the Surabaya
\nArts Council during holidays.<\/p>\n
\"Fortunately, my wife and children are very proud of my
\nauthorship on the history of East Java cities,\" noted Dukut, who
\nwas born in Malang on June 8, 1954.<\/p>\n
Literary circles in Indonesia are familiar with Dukut's books.
\nHis novel, Raden Ayu Prabawati, appeared in 1987. It is a love
\nstory set between Prabawati and a Dutch commandant in Middelburg
\nfort in 1791, Maj. Gerrard Wolfgang, ending in the death of the
\nmajor in a battle. His other novel, Sang Penumpas (The
\nConqueror), one year later, won a fiction contest in a book expo
\nheld by the Indonesian Publishers Association.<\/p>\n
He also used to contribute short stories to various Jakarta
\nand Surabaya magazines and dailies like Kartini, Femina, Jawa
\nPos, Surabaya Post and Surya. Today, Dukut is more engaged in
\nhistory writing.<\/p>\n
Although he no longer focuses on fiction, Dukut retains the
\nstoryline pattern of novels and local informal language. \"I want
\nmy histories of Surabaya, Gresik and Malang to reach everybody,
\nyoung and old, so I use no formal expressions, which are less
\nreadable for some age groups,\" he indicated.<\/p>\n
While maintaining a fiction format, Dukut sticks to the theme
\nof olden days for his present works. To him, everybody should be
\nfamiliar with recorded past events in order not to lose sight of
\nthe nation's character and at the same time to learn some lessons
\nfor the future.<\/p>\n
\"Sadly, we have now almost forgotten our history. A lot of old
\nbuildings that were part of Surabaya's cultural heritage have
\nbeen demolished for new projects,\" he pointed out. The Semut
\nrailway station, for instance, is an example of the Dutch legacy,
\nwhich barely escaped demolition.<\/p>\n
According to his Surabaya Tempo Dulu, the station, formerly
\ncalled Spoorstation Semoet, was officially inaugurated by Dutch
\nGovernor General JW van Lasberge in 1878, coinciding with the
\nopening of the Surabaya-Pasuruan railway line as an inseparable
\npart of the urban activities of Surabaya.<\/p>\n
Semut was nearly pulled down by the Surabaya municipal
\nadministration not long after the launching of the book,
\noriginally scheduled for April 2002. After a series of protests,
\nthe plan was postponed until finally the city council prevented
\nthe building from being totally destroyed.<\/p>\n
Various other structures of cultural value have been neglected
\nin Surabaya, with some already leveled to the ground. One of them
\nis the historic traditional market of Wonokromo, which is to
\nbecome a mall or trade center. \"My concern about cultural assets
\nhas prompted me to write the histories of several other East Java
\ncities,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Kajoetangan -- in his next book Malang Tempo Dulu -- for
\ninstance, is a cultural reserve in the cool East Java city worthy
\nof protection. A main street in old Malang, which is now called
\nJl. Basuki Rahmat, it is also known by natives of Malang as
\nKajeng Asto, the honorific form of Kajoetangan in Javanese.<\/p>\n
De Gids voor Malang en Omstreken (Guide to Malang and its
\nEnvirons), published in 1924, shows the presence of a number of
\nshops frequented by Dutch nobility at that time. The Malang
\nToilet Club, a shop in Kajoetangan 19, was where Dutch East
\nIndies Governor General Fock had his hair cut. It also sold
\nFrench perfume and Italian wine.<\/p>\n
Kajoetangan 25 housed a car dealer, NV Malangsche Automobile
\nAtelier, which sold Buick, FN and Chevrolet makes, besides
\nsupplying fuel. The dealer's director was HJ von Burg, a German
\nnational.<\/p>\n
\"This book has more stories about Malang, which I hope will be
\na guide for the local administration to avoid ruining invaluable
\nassets,\" he concluded.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/historian-helps-preserve-heritage-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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