100 Untag Surabaya students were involved in the Peneleh as a Living Library project.

Penelehhistory.com: AS many as 100 architecture students from the University of 17 August 1945 (Untag) Surabaya visited the Peneleh European Cemetery on Sunday afternoon, April 28 2024. They were involved in the Peneleh as a Living Library project, which is a collaboration between the Begandring Soerabaja Community and TiMe Amsterdam, Netherlands. This project is a support from the communities of both countries for Peneleh as a history-based tourism area in Surabaya.

One of the tourism potentials in the Peneleh Surabaya area is the Peneleh European Cemetery. The cemetery, which was opened in 1847, has a shared history between Surabaya, part of the Indonesian nation formerly known as the Dutch East Indies, and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, The University of 17 August 1945 (Untag) Surabaya is an academic partner in collaboration between the two communities: Begandring Soerabaja and TiMe Amsterdam. This cooperation between countries is supported by both governments. In Indonesia, it is represented by the Surabaya City Government. In the Netherlands it is supported by Dutch Culture, a Dutch cultural heritage institution.

The 100 Untag students were directly guided and accompanied by history activists of Begandring Soerabaia. During the activities at the Peneleh cemetery, they we’re introduced and simultaneously observed 8 grave objects which were the focus of this collaboration project.

Accompanied by architecture lecturers Rahman and Agung, they received an explanation from the Begandring Team about the eight tombs. Whose grave is it and what role did they play during their lifetime in the Dutch East Indies? Kuncarsono from Begandring provided an explanation of their role and historical background.
This historical background narrative is important as an insight into why this project focuses on the eight tombs.

Meanwhile, lecturer Rahman conveyed and hoped that the students could identify the existence of the cemetery before carrying out the activity. This identification includes the condition of the grave, damage to the grave, details of the grave and photographs from various angels.

Because there are 8 graves spread out, the 100 students were divided into two class groups. Classes A and B. Each identifies 4 graves. The eight selected graves are Governor General Pieter Merkus, Resident Daniel Francois Willem Pietermaat, Ohannes Kurkdjian, PJB Perez, Catholic Father Van den Elsen, Schmutzer and Paul F Cornellie (ACW).

According to Dr. Retno Hastijanti, as the dean who accompanied student activities, hopes that students will be able to make activity reports containing pictures of each grave, the location of the grave, listing various damages, recording details of the grave as a basis for developing information.

This activity with the big theme “Peneleh as a Living Library” is expected to not only build a narrative about Peneleh in general and the Peneleh European Cemetery in particular, but also to physically participate in arranging the eight tombs and providing an information center “Visitor Information Center”. So that the Peneleh cemetery and environment will be ready to receive any visitor and wherever the visitors come from, they can interact with Peneleh (Peneleh cemetery and Peneleh environment) as a “book” to read.

In the sense of “Living Library”, the Peneleh environment starting from the cemetery and the Neighborhood environment with all its contents are actually books like in a library. While the library is in the Living Library concept, the collection of books is the environment with all its contents, including the community.

Reading in the Living Library is visitors’ interaction with the objects and people there. Conversations, interviews and interactions are the ‘reading’ models carried out by visitors in the Living Library concept in this Peneleh project.

Activities at the cemetery ended at 5 pm. From the results of this introduction and empirical observation, architectural drawings of related objects will be produced. Namely 8 graves of figures who played a role in Surabaya and Indonesia. (nanang)