Penelehhistory.com: Surabaya (29/5/24) – The Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, Pieter Merkus, died at the Grahadi State Building (formerly Huiz van Simpang) in 1844, but his grave is in the Peneleh Dutch Cemetery, which opened in 1847 . How come?
The following are notes from a correspondent for the daily De Locomotief (Semarang), who worked in Surabaya. The news was published on Monday, December 8 1900 as archived by delpher.nl.
More than half a century ago (15 August 1844), a most impressive ceremony took place in Surabaya. Pieter Merkus, was appointed as the 47th Governor General of the Dutch East Indies. He ruled between 1841-1844. On February 13, 1843, he was assigned to the East End of Java (Oosthoek) and during his official duties, he died on August 2, 1844.
When Pieter Merkus arrived in Surabaya and started his duties he was ill. Initially he visited the eastern part of Java, Banjoewangi and then to Surabaya. In Surabaya he lived in Huiz van Simpang (Grahadi) and died there on August 2 1844. Many people regretted his death because Pieter Merkus was known as the most humane and pious Governor General.
His funeral took place thirteen days later because he had to wait for a coffin with a special design to be suitable for a governor general. It also takes time for the embalming process before being placed in a coffin, which is made of iron.
This coffin was made by the only iron industrial workshop in Surabaya, owned by Mr. F. Bayer. Actually, at that time, there was also another iron industry but it was more focused on making artillery. Namely the Artillery Constructie Winkle (ACW).
Mr. Bayer’s factory, De Volharding, included factories that provided goods and spare parts for machinery such as sugar factories and fortifications. It was in the middle of the 19th century.
This factory absorbed a lot of local workers. They were happy that this factory had received an award from the government. Awarded the Order of the Netherlands Lion by Koning Willem II, a well-deserved honor.
Buried in the Church Complex.
In the funeral procession, many people witnessed the splendor. Many people came to see this procession and stood forming a fence along the road from Huiz van Simpang (Grahadi) to the cemetery at the Fort Prins Hendrik complex (ed: now around Jalan Benteng Surabaya).
Surabaya residents, who came to pay their respects dressed in their regalia and regional attire as Surabaya (native) people. They walked from Simpang to the small square in front of Prins Hendrik Fort. There is the church where Pieter Merkus is buried.
Pieter Merkus was buried in the church area because there was no proper burial ground. There was no more space in the European cemetery in Krembangan. In that year, 1844, the Krembangan cemetery could no longer accommodate the dead. It was impossible for someone at the level of a Governor General to be inserted into a public cemetery at that time. At that time, there was no Peneleh cemetery.
Early in the morning the funeral procession departed and walked slowly but very majestically. The entire force of the garrison, the naval militia marched along. Condolence banners decorated the streets. The color black is a symbol of mourning. On the way there was accompaniment by mournful music which, within a few meters, was boomed by cannons until they reached the church in front of the fort.
Before the Governor General’s body was buried, flowers were sprinkled into the gaping ground. Only after the body was interred do wreaths of flowers cover the grave. Around the grave, an iron fence with gothic accents was installed. Around the cemetery there were also two headstones and a monument from the grave of Major Engineer P.P.C. Ondaatje and van den marine lieutenant first class L.F. Van Hoogenhuyze. The latter died during the Bali expedition. It was there in the Prins Hendrik Fort complex that Governor General Pieter Merkus was buried. Merkus died at the age of 56.
Dismantle the Grave.
In this world, nothing lasts forever. The tomb where the final resting place is also does not last forever. At that time, Pieter Merkus’ grave in this fort also had to be excavated, his bones collected and moved to Peneleh, after the Peneleh tomb complex was opened on December 1, 1847.
At the same time, the church and fort had to be demolished for the sake of Surabaya’s development. The fort, church and square were demolished to make way for the construction of the Gubeng-East Kalimas railway line. Governor General Rochussen was responsible for the demolition of the cemetery for development. Rochussen was the Governor General who officially built the Kemayoran Mosque together with Surabaya Resident Daniel Francois Willem Pietermaat. His grave is also in Peneleh.
(Ed: Governor General J.J. Rochussen was a Governor General who built the Kemayoran mosque in the period 1844-1848. He was on behalf of the government together with the Resident of Surabaya Daniel. Francois Willem Petermaat and the Regent of Surabaya Kromodjoyodirono).
The three graves: Pieter Merkus, Major Engineer P.P.C. Ondaatje and van den sea lieutenant first class L.F. Hoogenhuyze’s van was dismantled and moved.
Dismantling Pieter Merkus’ grave was quite difficult. Because the coffin had been packed so tightly. It was found that the wooden box inside which was covered with tin was also rotting. There were also cracks in the tin plate. Of course it was impossible to move things in that state, because aesthetics and modesty were still needed to respect the Governor General. If a new coffin is made, it takes time and the size of the new coffin and must have larger dimensions.
Then there was something else. The grave dismantling officers had no doubts about the two other monuments (graves) that had been there long before Pieter Merkus was buried.
However two sets of bones (Pieter Merkus and Van Hoogenhuyze) were removed and moved to Peneleh’s tomb. Meanwhile, Ondaatje’s bones were moved to Krembangan.
(Ed: Before there was the Peneleh Tomb, there was also a Krembangan Tomb near the walled city of Surabaya).
Pieter Merkus and Van Hoogenhuyz departed for Peneleh on December 1, 1847 after the official opening of the Peneleh Tomb. Governor General Pieter Merkus and Van Hoogenhuyz were the first to occupy the Peneleh Dutch Cemetery.
(Ed: the location of Pieter Merkus’ grave is special, right in front of the iron door of the tomb complex which faces Jalan Kerkkoff, now Jalan Makam Peneleh)
Transfer Convoy.
Even though it was in the form of bones, the process of moving it was accompanied by a large procession. Present in the procession included Resident officials, Colonels, Division Commanders and Resident Assistants, Head of the Dutch East Indies Council, Staur, two hearses. One car carried General Merkus’s coffin, and the second carried naval officer Van Hoogenhuyze.
This convoy started from the Fortress which passed the military settlement at Kampenmenstraat (ed: now KH Mas Mansyur), Customs, Kembang Dje-poon, Red Bridge (crossing Kalimas), past the Resident’s Office, Willemskade (Red Bridge road), City Gate (junction of Jalan Centrawasih and Jalan Jembatan Merah), Sociéteit straat (Jalan Veteran), City Park (BI Building), Pasar Besar, Jagalan Bridge (crossing the river) and so on until the Peneleh cemetery.
At around four in the afternoon the procession of bones arrived at Peneleh. Even though only bones were accompanied, this did not diminish respect for the late Governor General Pieter Merkus. This is where Pieter Merkus’ new grave is located. The grave is surrounded by an iron fence with a Gothic motif, which was once used in the church cemetery at Fort Prins Hendrik. His headstone is an iron plate with an inscription that reads:
“Your Majesty Mr. Pieter Merkus, commander of the Nederlandsche Leeuw order, Knight of the French Legion of Honor, Governor General of the Dutch East Indies, Commander of the Army and Navy east of the Cape of Good Hope and so on, died at Simpang’s house on August 2 1844″
That is the story written by the correspondent of De Locomotief (Semarang) on December 8 1900. (nng).