1923
“Sulit dibayangkan bahwa akhirnya saya sungguh dalam perjalanan ke Timur, memenuhi suatu keinginan yang sudah selalu didambakan, tetapi dianggap tak terjangkau...”
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28 Februari 1923 | Pelabuhan Genoa, Italia
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Tepat seabad yang lalu, Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856 - 1934), salah satu arsitek paling terkenal di Belanda, menggapai salah satu impian terbesarnya—perjalanan ke Hindia Belanda—menjadi kenyataan.
Di Genoa, ia naik kapal uap, SS Grotius, menuju ke Batavia yang ia capai dalam waktu tiga minggu. Berlage tiba di Batavia dan menghabiskan tiga bulan berikutnya di Jawa, Bali dan Sumatra dengan kereta, mobil dan kapal. Ini adalah perjalanan sekali seumur hidup: selama perjalanan, sang arsitek jatuh cinta kepada nusantara. Ia mencatat kesan-kesan dan pengamatannya ke dalam jurnal yang ia ringkas ke dalam 147 halaman dan dipublikasikan pada tahun 1931.
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Berjudul Mijn Indische Reis (Perjalanan Hindiaku), buku Berlage adalah publikasi luar biasa yang diisi dengan sketsa-sketsa indah dan selusin puisi. Buku ini juga menampilkan secara kuat gagasan-gagasan Berlage tentang budaya dan masyarakat. Ia menyampaikan pandangannya tentang sejarah arsitektur dan arsitektur kontemporer serta kontemplasi dan tinjauan ke masa depan; sesuatu yang diharapkan dari sang mentor. Selain itu, Berlage juga menampilkan sekilas tentang sisi personalnya kepada pembaca. Ia dengan blak-blakan berbagi pernyataan dan perasaannya tentang superioritas Barat, saudara sebangsa yang memalukan, kolonialisme, pariwisata dan identitas. Pengamatannya semakin jelas selama perjalanan: keingintahuan membuka jalan untuk kekaguman; dan ketakjuban berubah menjadi kebingungan.
Terlepas dari sebuah ulasan panas di sebuah majalah perdagangan, tidak terlalu diketahui bagaimana buku tersebut diterima, apakah buku itu membuat resonansi yang lebih luas, dan apakah pembaca betul-betul memahami maksud di dalamnya.
Beberapa dekade kemudian pada tahun 1991, Joris Molenaar, seorang arsitek Belanda, menerbitkan kembali Mijn Indische Reis berupa sketsa-sketsa Berlage dan komentarnya. Selanjutnya tahun 1996, Max van Rooy - seorang jurnalis, ahli arsitektur sekaligus
cucu Berlage - membuat film dokumenter De Hollandsche Tropenstijl (Gaya Tropis Belanda) bersama pembuat film, Ike Bertels. Film ini menggunakan buku Berlage sebagai pedoman. Pada tahun 2011, arsitek Herman van Bergeijk menyajikan penelitian arsip perjalanan Berlage secara mendalam; Berlage en Nederlandsche-Indie (Berlage di Hindia Belanda). Namun penelitian ini berfokus pada arsitektur, sedangkan topik lain nyaris tak tersentuh.
Tapi tidak lama lagi...
2023
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“Jarang sekali perpisahan dengan sebuah negara yang tidak akan pernah saya kunjungi lagi terasa begitu berat bagi saya."
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27 Mei 1923 | Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia
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Mungkin sudah seratus tahun sejak Berlage melakukan perjalanannya ke Hindia Belanda, namun pengamatannya di dalam Mijn Indische Reis sekali lagi --- atau bisa dibilang, masih --- sangat relevan.
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Kami --- tim profesional bilateral yang bekerja di bidang budaya dan kreatif --- merasa bahwa dengan menghidupkan kembali perjalanan Berlage di tahun 1923 adalah cara yang baik untuk membahas topik masa kini di Belanda dan Indonesia. Topik pembicaraan seperti dekolonisasi, identitas budaya dan keberagaman, dan bangunan yang berkelanjutan.
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Seiring tumbuhnya ketertarikan pada sejarah dan warisan (kolonial) di Indonesia dan Belanda, perjalanan Berlage juga dapat membawa perspektif baru pada hubungan khusus di antara kedua negara dan memungkinkan kita untuk menemukan kembali dan menikmati penggalan penting dari warisan budaya (tak benda) kita bersama.
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Jadi sudah saatnya kita bersihkan debu di buku Mijn Indische Reis dan menerjemahkannya, secara harfiah dan kiasan: ke Bahasa Indonesia dan Inggris dan ke abad ke-21 sebagai Berlage di Nusantara.
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​'Indische Reis 2.0' ini bukanlah ringkasan atau analisis lengkap dari perjalanan Berlage: ini adalah edisi baru yang dikurasi dari koleksi jurnal lama. Kami menelusuri tulisan-tulisan di dalam catatan perjalanan dan menyeleksi kutipan-kutipan Berlage yang menarik, menggugah pikiran dan mencuri perhatian. Kami juga menyeleksi 64 sketsa dan mencari foto, surat, kartu pos serta elemen visual lain dari bangunan, situasi dan tempat yang ia tulis.
Ilustrator asal Yogayakarta, Upit Dyoni, lebih jauh menghidupkan kembali perjalanan Berlage lewat visualisasinya. Kami juga menambahkan konteks sejarah, komentar dan pertanyaan.
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Selain publikasi buku baru, kami mengambil sketsa dan kutipan Berlage sebagai titik berangkat serangkaian wawancara podcast dengan mengundang narasumber dari berbagai latar belakang dan generasi di Indonesia dan Belanda untuk berbagi pemikiran mereka tentang perjalanan Berlage. Kami juga meminta mereka berkontribusi dalam buku dengan membagikan perspektif mereka melalui media pilihan masing-masing.
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Rangkaian pameran dan aktivitas untuk turut menghidupkan petualangan Berlage juga sedang digarap.
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Akhir kata, kami mengundang Anda untuk bergabung dengan perjalanan Berlage-dan kami- dengan mengikuti kami di media sosial, mendaftar untuk mendapat kabar terbaru lewat email, dan memberi saran.
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Dengan demikian, seabad kemudian perjalanan Berlage berlanjut. Ayo, semua naik kapal!
Buy the Book
“Brilliant book. And moving. And very 21st-century. I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
— Riemer Knoop, Director Gordion Cultureel Advies
"You read how he struggles with his moral values, and that means a lot to me."
— Amara van der Elst, spoken word artist
"I think the trip to the Indies was an unexpected surprise, like a warm shower. He found here what he had been searching for."
— Huib Akihary, architecture historian
"It’s interesting that 100 years later, the Indonesians think, ‘We have a Berlage!’; like you’ve found a van Gogh."
— Rizky Kalebos, urban influencer
Berlage’s Journey to the Indies is a creative reinterpretation of famous Dutch architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage’s hundred-year-old travel diary. This richly illustrated book, written in three languages – Dutch, Indonesian, and English – explores the Dutch-Indonesian colonial past with a fresh, critical look at the present. Berlage’s Journey to the Indies (Indonesian title: Berlage di Nusantara, Dutch title: Berlages Indische Reis) is written by Angeline Basuki, Loes van Iperen, Ester van Steekelenburg, and Petra Timmer. It is published by LM Publishers in Edam, the Netherlands.
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The 300-page book, which includes Berlage’s original sketches, historical photographs, old prints, and new hand-drawn illustrations, makes an eye-catching coffee table book or a thoughtful gift.
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Design: Annemarijn de Boer † and Ad van Helmond | Illustrations: Upit Dyoni
Trilingual edition: English, Indonesian, and Dutch
300 pages, 170 x 240 mm, Full-colour paperback with fold-out cover
ISBN: 9789460229626
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Purchase Berlage’s Journey to the Indies at LM Publishers (the Netherlands/worldwide) or PeriPlus bookstores (Indonesia), online and at physical stores in Jakarta, Bandung, Bali, Yogya, Surabaya, and Balikpapan. Click here for the complete list of stockists.
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Why this book?
Exactly a century ago, a great wish came true for Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856 - 1934): he could finally travel to the Dutch East Indies! For three months, he travelled across Java, Bali, and Sumatra. It became the journey of a lifetime. Throughout the trip, Berlage diligently penned his impressions, observations, and even poems in a diary, which he eventually published in 1931 as Mijn Indische Reis (‘My Journey to the Indies’). The observations he makes in his travel diary are, a hundred years later, still very relevant – or perhaps even more so. Unfortunately, the book has faded into obscurity and was never translated into Indonesian.
Who should read this book?
Berlage’s Journey to the Indies brings a travelling Berlage in 1923 to life in the here and now. What Berlage observes is about much more than architecture: he writes passionately about local people, art, and culture and is surprisingly critical of colonial society. As he explores the country from various perspectives – the traveller, the architect, the thinker, and the critic – we meet the person behind the famous master builder. The book reconstructs and contextualises his journey with archival material, photos, old prints, and new illustrations. The book is not only worthwhile for architects but also for travellers and anyone interested in the colonial history of the Netherlands.
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The journey continues!
The authors of Berlage’s Journey to the Indies have presented the most surprising and controversial excerpts from Berlage’s original diary to 21 inspiring creators and thinkers – from artists to architects and even an ambassador – in Indonesia and the Netherlands and invited them to reflect on Berlage’s musings. Through their insights and stories, Berlage’s quotes become starting points to discuss contemporary topics such as cultural identity, diversity, sustainability, and decolonisation. And so, his journey continues a century later.
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Sharing shared heritage...
The Berlage di Nusantara-team gave 150 copies to key figures within cultural institutions, as well as universities and libraries, to truly share this piece of shared heritage.
The Indonesian translation will provide students in Indonesia with a unique opportunity to learn about the old master, his Indonesian architectural legacy and his personal testimony to the artistic tradition and culture in the former Dutch colony.
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...and saving one of Berlage’s buildings in Indonesia
Finally, there was another urgent reason to revive Berlage’s travel diary. Few people know that there are two buildings in Indonesia designed by Berlage: Gedung Algemeene/Gedung Singa in Surabaya, completed in 1901, and Gedung Nederlanden van 1845 in Jakarta from 1913. Gedung Singa – also known as ‘the house with the lions’ – is in poor condition. Years of vacancy and neglect have taken their toll, and Berlage’s legacy is slowly but surely crumbling. The authors aim to spark local discussions about renovating and reusing the building through their book.
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#berlagedinusantara
IKUTI PERJALANAN!
Podcast
We invited a group of remarkable individuals, from artists to ambassadors, to revisit Berlage's adventure in the then-Dutch East Indies. The result? Two (100% free!) podcast series, one recorded in Indonesia and the other in The Netherlands, in which we touch on a wide range of Berlage-adjacent topics. Expect fresh insights, personal stories, philosophical ponderings, and even our very own dedicated song.
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Listen, watch, and join the conversation: we would love to hear your thoughts!
Events
Berlage di Nusantara on the road:
Exhibitions, talks, lectures, and other (upcoming) events in Indonesia and the Netherlands.
BOOK LAUNCH
'BERLAGE'S JOURNEY TO THE INDIES'
'BERLAGE DI NUSANTARA'
'BERLAGES INDISCHE REIS'
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BANDUNG HERITAGE SOCIETY x BERLAGE DI NUSANTARA
May 31, 2024
Join us to hear from Angeline Basuki, the co-editor and translator of our upcoming book, as she shares our journey (and Berlage's!) at the iconic De Majestic building, a beautiful 1925 Art Deco landmark designed by C.P. Wolff Schoemaker.
@architrace.ui x @berlagedinusantara presents:
WANUA 2023 Special Talk Series - BERLAGE DI NUSANTARA
January 9, 2023
Dr Petra Timmer (Editor and Architecture & Historical research at Berlage di Nusantara) was invited to lecture at the students at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering (Departemen Arsitektur FTUI) at Universitas Indonesia. In this public talk, she spoke about the cities and sites Berlage visited in 1923, the people he met, his lectures, sketches, and other experiences. What was the goal of his journey, and why is its relevant for today's architects?
EKSPOSISI BATAVIA
SenyuMuseum x Museum Kebaharian Jakarta x Berlage di Nusantara
17 - 18 June 2023
We were invited to present a mini-exhibition about Berlage's 1923 adventure at 'Exposisi Batavia' held in Jakarta's Maritime Museum (Museum Kebaharian Jakarta), a cultural event co-organised by SenyuMuseum.
Angeline Basuki (Editor & Project Manager at Berlage di Nusantara) hosted a talk on our project.
Tim
Temui tim di balik Berlage di Nusantara:
Petra Timmer
Editor-in-chief, Riset Arsitektur dan Sejarah
Upit Dyoni
Ilustrator
Raymon Hilkman
Director & Presenter podcast Berlage di Nusantara
(The Netherlands)
Darren Aqilaah
Videography & Editor podcast
Berlage di Nusantara
(Indonesia)
Ester van Steekelenburg
Pemrakarsa, Konsep Kreatif & Project Management
Helia Vons
Dukungan Editorial dan
Sumber Visual
Marco Vet
Videography podcast
Berlage di Nusantara
(The Netherlands)
Rahma Azzahra
Voice-over podcast
Berlage di Nusantara
(Indonesia)
Loes van Iperen
Editor, Media Sosial (Pembuatan Konten & Desain), Situs Web
Annemarijn de Boer †
Desainer Grafis
Angeline Basuki
Editor, Project Management Indonesia
Lea Pamungkas & Taalcentrum VU
Penerjemah kutipan Berlage
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Yudha Irawan
Presenter podcast Berlage di Nusantara
(Indonesia)
Fikri Ramadhani
Videography podcast
Berlage di Nusantara
(Indonesia)
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Mission & Vision
#BerlagediNusantara is the literal and figurative translation of Hendrik Petrus Berlage’s 1923 travel diary. We build on the statements the famous Dutch architect penned in his hundred-year-old journal to bring a piece of intangible heritage to the present time.
Instead of pondering what ‘the East should and could learn from the West’, Berlage turns it around: he searches for what we in the West could learn from the East. The famous architect wanted to share a different perspective about ‘The East’, which we take as a starting point for a conversation about colonial history and cultural identity in The Netherlands and Indonesia. Through activities such as a podcast series, travelling exhibitions and an interactive mural, we want to make Berlage’s original travel diary accessible to an international audience, find the common values in traditional concepts of culture, architecture and heritage and add new perspectives that are relevant for today’s generation and can perhaps inspire a future generation.
Kontak
Apakah Anda punya pertanyaan seputar Berlage di Nusantara? Tertarik untuk kolaborasi? Punya ide untuk dibagikan? Hal lain yang ingin disampaikan?
Silakan hubungi kami; kami ingin mendengar dari Anda!
The historical photos, sketches and other visuals featured in Berlage di Nusantara, on social media and our website have been sourced from the Berlage archives at Het Nieuwe Instituut, Royal Tropical Institute and private and public collections in The Netherlands and Indonesia. All efforts have been made to trace the owners of the images used. Yet, there may be cases where we have not been successful. Anyone who believes they may have a copyright claim should contact us.
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