Penelehhistory.com: Surabaya (31/5/24) – Collaboration project between the Begandring Soerabaia Community (Surabaya, Indonesia) and TiMe Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Netherlands) in the Peneleh area with the name “Peneleh as a Living Library”, not only includes grave objects at Peneleh Graveyards, but even wider. Namely, the Peneleh area. Physically, it is focused on European graves in Peneleh Surabaya, but socially and culturally it concerns the people who live in Peneleh.
The Peneleh Cemetery has so far become part of the Peneleh Community. Graves are no longer strange to the local community. The interaction between the Cemetery and the community is strong. Children playing in the graveyard. There are kids playing football, kites and just joking around while sitting on the grave. Some even hang out on top of the concrete cupola of the cemetery. They are not afraid. They are used to it.
For adults, there are those who dry clothes and just lie down on gravestones during the day. The atmosphere is really good. Breeze. Especially under the big trees that grow in the cemetery area.
In the contemporary era, cemeteries have become instagrammable photography spots. Some use it for creative content. Visitors even wear heavy make-up to create a different appearance. Stories and photos of the Peneleh Graveyards have traveled the world.
In the “Peneleh as a Living Library” project, the local people is expected to take part. They can be involved in this project so that they grow a sense of ownership to jointly look after and care for it. The more they feel a sense of belonging to each other, the more they feel to protect and preserve it, which in the end can be used for educational, scientific, research, cultural and tourism purposes.
Therefore, on Wednesday (29/5/24) workshop participants, consisting of professional architects, were invited to walk around the kampongs, especially Plampitan which is on the southern side of the Peneleh area. Apart from seeing and observing the diversity of building architecture, this activity is also an effort to introduce the community to the potential of their kampongs environment. Peneleh as a whole is a collection of local potential, which is truly international class. In the Peneleh area there are values, which can be learned by anyone because they contain knowledge. There is the science of architecture and human civilization.
Among the group of architectural professionals, there were heritage and museum consultants from the Netherlands. They are partners of Begandring Soerabaia from the heritage and museology consulting agency, TiMe Amsterdam. Max Meijer and Petra Timmer.
From the local potential that is spread across the Peneleh area, which is an area that is naturally bordered by two rivers, Kalimas and Pegirian, it is hoped that they can also map and connect the distribution of this potential into a constellation of tourism potential based on heritage and history.
It is hoped that this effort can encourage local residents to learn and understand the important values of their village so that in turn they can take a role in building and developing their village for common goals.
Kampong Plampitan is just behind (south) of the Peneleh grave area. The cemetery and the kampong are only separated by the cemetery wall. However, walls are not a barrier for residents to interact.
According to Max, it is very important for them to have a sense of ownership of their environment, especially the Peneleh European Cemetery. This vraveyards is no longer alive and has changed its function as a playground area which in the future can be used as an open stage for arts and culture.
Max also welcomes the emergence of the idea of the Peneleh Graveyards Festival as a form of cultural arts activity to better interpret the Peneleh Cemetery land as a people’s stage with educational, artistic and cultural value. (nng)