Passion leads Seemann to learn about Indonesia

Passion leads Seemann to learn about Indonesia

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): It all started in a small and dusty curio shop
on a crowded street in Ciputat, South Jakarta, a few years ago.

Heinrich Seemann, the German ambassador to Indonesia, and his
wife Karen Seemann were startled to find an antique three-foot
long theodolite manufactured by German Max Hildelbrand, Freiberg
among heaps of old furniture and bad art.

The theodolite possibly belonged to German engineers who
worked in Surabaya, East Java, some years ago.

At the Railway Museum in Ambarawa, Central Java, the
ambassador found other clue. He saw several old locomotives
manufactured by two famous German companies in the late l9th
century.

These items were evidence showing the long-time presence of
Germans in Indonesia, said the ambassador, who admitted he knew
very little about the country when he was posted here in l994.

"My first encounter with Indonesia was actually in the l970s
when I took a vacation in Bali." At that time, Seemann was posted
in Japan.

It was his close friend, the late Tony Poganik, then
Indonesia's national soccer coach from the former Yugoslavia, who
first gave Seemann a real portrait of Bali.

The ambassador recalled that Tony opened his eyes and mind to
Bali, showing him the real Bali -- its people, arts and religion.

But he still knew little about the rest of the country. "I
only knew that Indonesia and Germany had a long and tight
relationship. And thousands of Indonesians studied in Germany.
That's all," conceded the father of five adult children.

Seemann's great passion for history, art and literature led
him to learn more about Indonesia.

His discoveries in the curio shop and at the museum drew him
to trace the history of the two country's relationship.

"I started to do some research and contacted all the museums
and other institutions in Germany, and I found amazing facts and
documents which recorded German people's activities in
Indonesia," recalled the ambassador, who earned a doctorate
degree in law.

He discovered that the relationship between the two countries
went back as far as the year 1509, when the first contact was
made between Germans and the people of Indonesia, then known as
the East Indies.

His meticulous study of the history of German-Indonesian
relations is on display at the current exhibition titled Traces
of a Friendship, German-Indonesian Relations from the 16th to the
19th Century, at the National Archive Building here in Jakarta.

The exhibition, which will end on Feb. 29, displays ancient
manuscripts, photographs, books and art objects which reveal the
long relationship of Germans and Indonesians in the field of
science and technology, arts and literature, and economy.

The exhibition is intended to show both Germans and
Indonesians that their two countries have had close relations for
500 years, said the ambassador, who is also the author of books
about Nepal and Japan.

"I always want to learn the history of every country I serve,"
said Seemann, who joined the German Foreign Service in l965. He
has served in the United States, Nepal, Japan, Mali and
Indonesia.

His first book about Indonesia is titled
Von Goethe bis Emil Nolde, Indonesien in der deutschen
Geisteswelt (From Goethe to Emil Nolde -- Indonesia's Place in
German Literature, Science and Art).

"The book is written in the German language. I hope someday it
can be translated and printed in Bahasa Indonesia," said Dr.
Seemann, who also is eager to write about modern Indonesian
architecture.

Of course, the ambassador does not only look to the past.
"With such a close affiliation in the past, we can look forward
to having tighter relations in the present and future," he said.

He said his position as ambassador to Indonesia was very
challenging, especially during the country's multidimensional
crisis. "Indonesia is currently facing an image problem in the
international world because of unfavorable press coverage," he
pointed out.

Every day, people in the West see news reports on CNN or other
media about Indonesia. Indonesia caught the international
attention when it was hit by huge forest fires. Indonesia was
again in the spotlight during its economic crisis and the
numerous outbreaks of social and political unrest, such as the
May 1998 riots, and the violence in East Timor, Maluku and Aceh.

"Everybody is watching you now, although what has appeared in
the media was often different from the reality," he said.

Dr. Seemann said he was trying to convince German
businesspeople that Indonesia was safe for investment. "You just
come to Indonesia and see for yourself the business and political
atmospheres here," the ambassador said he tells the German
business community.

Last week, a German business envoy arrived in Jakarta. "They
were all astounded to see the glitter of Jakarta on their way
from Soekarno-Hatta airport to Jl. M.H Thamrin," the ambassador
said.

In the middle of the economic crisis, he said, three German
companies made substantial investments in Indonesia. "This means
that Indonesia has potential."

The visit of President Abdurrahman Wahid to several European
countries including Germany also changed the image of Indonesia
abroad, Seemann said.

"In Europe he (Abdurrahman) was warmly welcomed by the heads
of state, politicians, potential investors and people from
different walks of life," the ambassador said.

He added that Abdurrahman may need a legion of aides-de-camp
who can articulately speak about Indonesia in foreign countries,
and provide first-hand information about the country's social,
political and economic conditions to foreign media and business
circles.

"In this globalization era, the media has huge power. Nobody
can curb their freedom of speech and expression," he said.

Germany, he said, was eager to help Indonesia speed up its
economic and political reform and uphold human rights.

In the field of education, Germany wants to lure back
Indonesian students to the nation's best universities and
institutions of higher education.

Approximately 17,000 Indonesians have graduated from German
universities. The ambassador said education was free in Germany
from elementary school to university.

"Germany may be the best option for Indonesian students since
they only have to pay for their daily cost of living. There are
no tuition fees for schooling."

He said language may be a major obstacle for many Asian
students, but he pointed out many German universities had changed
their curriculums, with some beginning to use English as a second
language.

"Our government and business community are now working to
promote German universities at the coming education fair here in
Jakarta," he said.

For this multifaceted ambassador, his years in Indonesia have
been very fulfilling.

Amid his many tasks, he finds peace on the airwaves, where he
is a frequent classical music reviewer at Radio Classic Top FM.

"Music plays a very crucial role in my life. It makes me happy
and serene."