Erasmus Huis celebrates 25th year in RI
Erasmus Huis celebrates 25th year in RI
By Lenah Susianty
JAKARTA (JP): If Desiderius Erasmus, the 13th century Dutch humanist philosopher, were alive today he would certainly smile to see that the Dutch cultural center bearing his name has survived for 25 years in Jakarta, 18,000 kilometers from his home country.
Starting 25 years ago, as a place where Indonesians who spoke Dutch gathered and read Dutch newspapers, in a house at Jl. Menteng Raya 25, Erasmus Huis is now a familiar name for those who love to see arts performances and exhibitions.
In 1981 it moved to its current location in Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, to accommodate the growing number of people who enjoyed the activities on Jl. Menteng Raya. It has maintained its function as a place where Indonesians can read Dutch magazines, journals and books and is a contact point between Indonesians and the Dutch.
Erasmus Huis, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on March 27, also organizes Dutch courses.
"Today there are about 1,000 students joining the courses," Iem G. Roos, counselor for cultural and press affairs at the Royal Netherlands embassy, said.
The courses, which costs Rp 250,000 per semester, are divided into general and specific language programs. The latter includes Dutch for law, business and history.
It also has a library which is opened to public with a collection of about 23,000 Dutch book titles, 100 Dutch magazines, two Dutch newspapers, a number of Indonesian newspapers and magazines as well as video tapes on documentary and scientific films.
Erasmus' library head, Anton H. Holtzapffel, said that students, who are not members of the available Dutch courses, are required to pay an annual fee of Rp 2,000 (U.S. 90.9 cents) to join the library. Non-student members are charged Rp 5,000 per year, except expatriates, who pay Rp 10,000 per year. Students of the Erasmus Huis Dutch courses can use the library free of charge.
Erasmus also provides information about studying in the Netherlands by cooperating with representatives of Dutch universities in Indonesia.
Roos told The Jakarta Post that actually there are only two Dutch Cultural centers in the world, one in Jakarta and another in Paris. Unlike French Cultural Centers, which have opened offices outside Jakarta, Erasmus Huis doesn't have any other branches in Indonesia. Instead, it cooperates with a number of organizations, such as in Bandung and Yogyakarta, when organizing certain events.
In general, the Erasmus Huis aims to give Indonesians an idea about Dutch culture through arts and music performances as well as exhibitions, seminars and lectures.
The cultural center is often used by other European embassies in Jakarta, which don't have the facilities to organize cultural events.
Free performances
"I think this is normal because if they use a function hall in a hotel it will be very costly. And the audience would pay a lot. If they use Erasmus, they can give free performances and it means everybody can come, including the younger people," Roos said.
He said the number of young people attending concerts, or other types performances at the Erasmus Huis, reaches about 60 to 70 percent of the audience. Many of them are students who cannot afford expensive shows.
Besides, Desiderius Erasmus' philosophy is not only valid for Dutch people but also for other Europeans, Roos added.
Despite being born in the 13th century, when the communication and transportation flow was not as sophisticated as it is today, Erasmus was possessed with cross border thinking. He said that through cultural exchange people would understand each other more. Therefore, his name is often used for this "cross border" kind of thing. There is even an Erasmus Prize given out in the Netherlands, which is presented to artists, writers and people who across borders and have great achievements in creating good understanding among different cultures.
In the Erasmus Huis, to provide a wider view on different cultures, you not only have the opportunity to see foreign cultural performances, but you can attend master classes held by visiting artists, who love to exchange their ideas with local ones.
The Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry budget is approximately Rp 500 million annually for the cultural center in Jakarta, David C. Korthals Altes, Erasmus' deputy director, said.
"In Indonesia we're very active. One of the reasons is that Indonesia is one of biggest countries in the world, so it's very important for us to keep this cultural center," Ross said, "Besides, we started 25 years ago and it's a real success, so we can't stop now."
"But we hope that in the future not only do Indonesia-Dutch relations grow stronger but also that Indonesia will play a more active role, by organizing more cultural exchanges," Ross said.
And more activities can be done, for example, inviting Dutch poets to Indonesia to translate Indonesian poems into Dutch and vice versa.
"We would also like to try to assist more Indonesian scholars in getting information books on Europe. We have now a lot of books on general literature. If possible we want to be more specific, in a particular field, but it depends on the demands too," Ross said.
Free performances will continue, and its amount will be as often as it is now. Exhibitions and performances in lesser known fields will be increased too, if the general ones are well- handled by other arts centers, he added.
Carla Bianpoen, a regular visitor to the Erasmus' library and arts events for six years now, said she likes to visit the cultural center because of its atmosphere.
"At the Erasmus, we can meet people from every social class, race, and all generations. So, there is no gap," Mrs. Bianpoen said.
As a Dutch-speaking person, the availability of Dutch newspapers in the library attracts her as well because she wants to be well-informed about what happens in the Netherlands.
Another interesting facet of Erasmus is that it holds not only Dutch cultural shows and exhibitions but also those of other countries, she concluded.