Historical Sites Vanishing: North Sumatra

By Barrie | April 8th, 2007 | No Comments

Historical sites in North Sumatra are being threatened by commercialism, with many old buildings being sacrificed in the name of profit. Bungaran Antonius Simanjuntak, who is a sociology and anthropology professor at Medan State University, said officials and businesspeople are to blame for the continued degradation of historical sites in the province.

He said several areas and structures of historical importance have been transformed throughout the past few years as Apriadi Gunawan explained.

An example is Merdeka Field, which despite being a symbol of the region’s fight against foreign rulers, has been converted into a food center by the administration and local businesspeople.

Bungaran said the move to transform Merdeka Field into a food center was against a 1992 law on cultural preservation that requires the protection of historical sites.

He said the continued destruction of historical structures in the province was concerning and warned they may completely vanish if nothing is done to prevent further development.

“Such development is dangerous for the country’s future. We have to stop this and return the historical places back to their original function,” Bungaran said during a discussion on historical sites in North Sumatra organized by the Sumatra Heritage Board in Medan.

The heritage’s executive, Hartono Suhardi, said that a joint survey conducted with a team from the Modern Asian
Architecture Network in 2002 found that 300 from 600 historical buildings and sites in Medan had either been transformed in function or had vanished completely.

Hartono said historical buildings that had vanished from the area include Malay style rumah panggung houses on raised stilts. One such structure in Jalan Timor was not protected by local regulations, which enabled its owner to easily demolish it.

Other historical buildings to have been demolished in Medan include the Deli Serdang regency office, the South East Asia Bank and the former Mega Eltra building that was built in 1912 by Amsterdam-based Lindetevis Stokvis.

The Kesawan area, once noted for its Dutch and Chinese architecture, has become a crowded area with modern office and commercial buildings, with very few historical buildings remaining. Buildings left in tact include the Tip Top restaurant and the home of Chinese noble Chong Afie.

Bungaran urged officials and businesspeople to stop transforming historical sites into profit-oriented areas for the sake of development and prosperity.

He said historical sites and buildings have a significant purpose in the region, including to educate younger generations about their history and to build a spirit of unity among residents.

“All historical sites are protected by the state and therefore should be maintained. There is a need to make everyone, including officials, aware of the need to protect them,” Bungaran said.

Apriadi Gunawan