A Century of Jam Gadang: What Academics and Journalists Say About It?

For tourists visiting West Sumatra, a trip is not complete without seeing Jam Gadang in Bukittinggi. The landmark is so iconic that many visitors feel compelled to take a photo in front of it as proof of their visit. This sentiment was echoed by a friend of the author, who, after conducting research in Lima Puluh Kota Regency, insisted on stopping in Bukittinggi simply to see the clock tower and send a photo to colleagues in Jakarta.

Beyond its popularity, Jam Gadang has long been surrounded by stories passed down through generations. These include the belief that it was a gift from Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and the unique use of the Roman numeral ‘IIII’ instead of ‘IV’ on its clock face. For many locals, these tales have been accepted as truth, even though they lack solid historical backing.

To mark the clock tower’s centenary, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Andalas University held a seminar titled ‘Uncovering the Historical Narrative of 100 Years of Jam Gadang’. Historians and a senior journalist presented findings from extensive archival research. Khairul Jasmi, a veteran journalist, detailed four common myths and systematically debunked them using contemporary newspaper reports and colonial records. He noted that the tower was not a gift from the Dutch Queen, but a project initiated by a local committee, the ‘Comite Djam Gadang’, which raised funds from the community. Furthermore, the claim that egg whites were used in the mortar was found to be baseless, as cement from the Padang factory was readily available at the time.

Dr. Suryadi, a researcher based in Leiden, corroborated these findings by tracing the construction timeline through Dutch archives. He discovered that the project was well-planned and not a sudden initiative. The research also pinpointed the official inauguration date as 25 July 1927, a detail that may prompt a revision of the currently celebrated anniversary. The seminar highlighted how collective memory can often diverge from documented history, turning a colonial-era public works project into a legend-filled monument.