Kerkhof Peucut, Dutch war cemetery in Aceh

By Lila Fitri Aly

BANDA ACEH (JP): Directly in front of Blang Padang Square, a popular housing estate exhibition areas in Banda Aceh, is the Dutch war cemetery known as Kerkhof Peucut. Countless Dutch soldiers found their final resting place here during the 40-year Aceh War (1873-1913).

It is said that in the 17th century, Peucut was located on the riverside of Krung Daroy, a river that once ran through the garden of the young Sultan Iskandar. Literary work of Syekh Nuruddin Ar-Raniry, known as the Boestanoes-Salatin, mentions that Taman Ghairah (Garden of Burning Love) might be the closest thing to the Garden of Eden.

The site measured three square kilometers and consisted of a number of buildings and parks, including the Palace Daruldunia, Sultan Iskandar's mansion, now the residence of the governor of Aceh, and Taman Gunungan. In 1874, one side of the Garden Of Burning Love was officially reserved by the Dutch authorities for the Kerkhof Peucut war cemetery.

The name Peucut was derived from Poteu Cut (meaning His Highness in Aceh) Meurah Pupok, the only son of the young Sultan Iskandar who was buried there. The Dutch found it difficult to pronounce all the words so they settled on Peucut instead. Kerkhof means cemetery in Dutch.

In the beginning, only Poteu Cut Meurah Pupok, the crown prince of the young Sultan Iskandar, was buried there. Meurah Pupok had been beheaded by his own father getting involved in a clandestine affair with the wife of a palace official. The jilted husband had reported the affair to the king before committing suicide. The incident touched the Sultan deeply and when he found out the truth he cut Meurah Pupok's head off with his kris. In those days, Islamic law was observed in earnest in the kingdom and death was common for adulterers.

Fifteen days later Sultan Iskandar died. He was replaced by his son-in-law, Sultan Iskandar Thani.

It's possible that Peucut had been used before 1874. Two Dutch generals, Gen. J.H.R. Koheler (1873), who was killed in the compound of the ancient Baiturrahman Grand Mosque when he led the first Dutch expedition to Aceh, and Gen. Pel (1876), were buried here. But First Lieutenant D.G. Baron Sloet van Zwanenburg was the first Dutch soldier buried here on June 25, 1874. At the time, Peucut cemetery was in the middle of the battlefield.

The main entrance, a monumental gateway built in 1893, can be reached after a short stroll along a beautiful path. The first military member felled in action to be carried through the monumental gateway was First Lieutenant, J.J.P. Weyerman. The names of the soldiers and the place and date of death are etched in black on the outer and inner sides of the gate. Also inscribed on the gates are 20 place names and dates of major battles, such as "Lhongbatta 1874" and "Tjot Besetoel 1883-1884".

High on top of the main gate, a large inscription which translates, "To Our Friends Who Died In The Honorary Place Of Action." The inscription is written in Dutch, Arabic and Javanese.

"Thirty-five percent of the dead buried here are Dutch, the remainder were hirelings from various Indonesian races," said Rusli, a groundskeeper at Kerkhof Peucut. Other ethnic groups include Japanese, Greek and Chinese.

According to Tuanku Abdul Jalil, secretary of the Documentation and Information Center of Aceh, the mercenaries indicate the global trade activities in Aceh at that time. The names from different Indonesian races are proof of the Dutch government's policy of divide and conquer.

A large part of the monuments and inscriptions on the tombs found in Peucut are extraordinary. Tuanku Abdul Jalil said that the monuments and inscriptions were funded by relatives, friends or colleagues of the dead.

During the Japanese occupation in Aceh, all European cemeteries, including Kerkhof Peucut, were neglected. Underbrush covered most of the grounds, accelerating the marks of time.

However, Peucut, located on a flat area called Koeta Radja (now Banda Aceh), was too vast an area to be destroyed overnight. Its 1,200 square meters, occupied by huge graves, monuments, the monumental gateway and an iron fence slowed the spread of underbrush.

The Japanese tore down the fence and dispatched the scrap iron to Japan. The Japanese and Acehense ignored the site, disregarding any vandalism.

However, except for a few hotheads who destroyed the busts of a number of Dutch officers, the deterioration of the graves must be blamed mainly on the elements and the destruction of the iron fence. Without the fence, Kerkhof Peucut was open to the villager's cows, goats and ducks. The townspeople then discovered it was an ideal shortcut and also cut down all the pine trees and other foliage found in the cemetery.

In July 1970, a visitor by the name of Col. J.H.J. Brendgen returned to Banda Aceh. He had been stationed in Aceh as a lieutenant and then became a Captain of the Marechausse. During his seven years in Banda Aceh, he fell in love with the place and its people. He became well versed in the regional language and also knew the customs.

He went straight to Kerkhof Peucut upon returning to the city. He was very sad when he saw the state of the cemetery. Kerkhof Peucut, once a proud and peaceful part of the city, had degenerated into pitiful ruins.

His knowledge of the region's language aided him in getting the necessary introductions to the right authorities to turn their attention to the plight of Peucut. The military commander of Aceh agreed that Kerkhof Peucut should be restored. Not long after the first contacts had been made in several sections of the city, the citizens were warned that the willful destruction of the cemetery would no longer tolerated.

Colonel Brendgen discussed the condition of Peucut with members of the Organization of Old Marechausse Officers in Holland. They all agreed that Kerkhof Peucut had to be restored. Enough funds were collected to start cleaning and restoration activities by 1972. The Peucut Funds Foundation was established in 1976 and has collected Nf 50,000 (around US$26,000) for the ongoing restorations.

"The restoration work takes up about Rp 15 million every year which is spent on maintenance of the equipment, workers' fees, painting of the graves and so on," said Rusli.

The Aceh administration and military and civilian officials have worked together to facilitate communications and ensure that rules are observed. They give special attention to the financial disbursements, although they aren't involved in this side of the project. The restoration planning is controlled by the foundation in the Netherlands.

The Indonesian ministries of welfare, public health and culture have provided a small subsidy for restoration activities for the last five years. However, the amount is far from sufficient and therefore most of the funds come from donations from Holland.

New Peucut

Today, the war cemetery looks well taken care of with its neat rows of pine trees interspersed with flowers and fragipani. The cemetery is a historical monument of the Aceh people's uprising against Dutch colonial rule. Sacrifices were made on both the Dutch and Aceh sides during the extended conflict.

"No Aceh fighters who fell in the holy war against the Dutch were buried here," explained secretary Tuanku Abdul Jalil.

"If someone from Aceh died in action, he would be buried on the spot where he fell. This way villagers knew their heroes. It also motivated them to uphold the spirit and glory of the struggle against the Dutch," he added.

The Peucut war cemetery has 2,200 graves and there special sections for various ranks. The graves were recorded between 1873 and 1936.

"Every Dutch man who died in the Aceh War had to be taken to Banda Aceh first," said Rusli. Tuanku Abdul Jalil said the Dutch knew how to embalm their dead so the bodies were kept in the left and right wings of the cemetery's gateway until a mass burial could be held. Some Dutch soldiers, however, lost their lives in Aceh's interior and were not buried in the cemetery.