Penelehhistory.com: Surabaya (28/5/24) – Dozens of architects from the Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI) East Java visited the Peneleh European Cemetery to support conservation efforts, particularly focusing on 10 selected graves. This conservation initiative is part of the Peneleh as a Living Library program, a collaboration between Begandring Soerabaia (Indonesia) and TiMe Amsterdam (Netherlands).
The two-day activity (28-29/5/24) by IAI Jatim was initiated by the University of 17 August 1945 (Untag), which is involved in the Peneleh as a Living Library project. Begandring Soerabaia, TiMe Amsterdam, and Untag Surabaya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in February 2024.
The joint activity themed “Conservation of Peneleh Cemetery Surabaya” was attended by 25 architects from the Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI) Jatim, as well as university officials from Untag Retno Hastijanti and Faisal. Dutch partners Max Meijer and Petra Timmer were also present.
Representatives from the three institutions, Retno Hastijanti, Faisal, and Max Meijer, participated in the workshop held at Lodji Besar, the basecamp and secretariat of Begandring Soerabaia.
The workshop aimed to provide background knowledge on the international project, Peneleh as a Living Library. The participants were expected to contribute to the conservation project for the Peneleh European Cemetery.
The 4.5-hectare Peneleh Cemetery, with thousands of graves, will see only 10 graves conserved in 2024. These selected graves belong to significant figures who contributed to the city of Surabaya and the Dutch East Indies government. Among them are Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies Pieter Merkus and Resident of Surabaya Daniel Francois Willem Pietermaat.
The architects will apply their expertise and creativity to these 10 graves, supporting the conservation of the Peneleh Cemetery as part of the Peneleh as a Living Library program. They are tasked with designing the conservation of these 10 graves.
During the workshop, materials were presented to provide context for the collaboration between Begandring Soerabaia and TiMe Amsterdam, focusing on Peneleh, including the Peneleh Cemetery, the community, and the environment.
In this program, Peneleh serves as a library, with the local community and their potential as its “books.” Visitors can “read” these “books” through direct interviews and empirical observations of the inanimate objects present. The living community members and the historical objects are the “books” in this library.
In the morning session of the workshop, Kuncarsono from Begandring discussed the role of media in the conservation of Peneleh Cemetery, while Nanang presented the role of the community in the Peneleh as a Living Library program.
After the theoretical workshop, participants were taken to the cemetery to empirically study the 10 graves involved in this project.
Max Meijer from TiMe Amsterdam participated in the entire event, from the theoretical workshop to the field visit to the Peneleh European Cemetery. Max expressed satisfaction and joy at the activities managed by Begandring Soerabaia and Untag Surabaya. The series of events began with a speech by Imam Agus Sonhaji, Assistant II for Economic and Development Affairs. (nng)