Stories from Deli

TO MEDAN

So far, the history of Medan. But we must now turn to modern Medan, which has earned the reputation of being the most European-like city in the Dutch East Indies.

Medan can be approached from various directions. The most common route, naturally, is the one taken by foreigners and tourists arriving by ship to Belawan. Belawan, connected to the Strait of Malacca via a dredged channel—whose navigable width is relatively narrow—only reveals its warehouses at the final bend of this channel. The current Belawan lies two kilometers further inland than the original Belawan, which was long considered the harbor and where the Deli Railway Company consequently built the terminal station of its line from Medan (along with a large station and extensive rail yard).

Once the ship docks and all formalities are completed, two options are available to reach the capital of the East Coast of Sumatra Residency and the province of Sumatra. One can take the train of the aforementioned D.S.M. (Deli Spoorweg Maatschappij), which transports passengers to Medan in about half an hour. Alternatively, one can accept offers from the numerous taxi drivers who, for about four guilders, will also take travelers to Medan in half an hour—unless, of course, one has the privilege of being picked up by family or friends who have brought their own car.

We will discuss both ways of reaching Medan in more detail below.

An increasingly popular way to reach Medan, whether from the Netherlands, Java, or across the strait, is by aircraft of the Royal Dutch Airlines (K.L.M.) or the Royal Netherlands Indies Airways (K.N.I.L.M.). Currently, these airlines still drop air travelers near Medan, namely at the recently mentioned Polonia airfield, located on part of the former kebon Polonia (Polonia estate) of the Deli Company. We say “currently” because efforts are underway to find a new airport with longer runways and more space than the relatively small Polonia airfield, which will be too cramped for the new giant Douglas DC-4 aircraft. From Polonia airfield, one can reach the center of Medan, the Esplanade—where the major hotels are located—by car in just fifteen minutes. The route first passes through the Polonia villa district, where each house stands freely on a spacious plot filled with trees, plants, and flowers, then past the military barracks, officers’ residences, the Town Hall, the stately building of the Netherlands Trading Society, and the white building of the Java Bank before arriving at one of the hotels.

Meanwhile, the so-called overland route is becoming more popular. Tourists can take this route in two directions. On their outbound journey to the Dutch East Indies, they can disembark at Belawan and either there or in Medan rent a car to Padang, continuing their journey to Java by K.P.M. ship. Alternatively, they can make this trip on their return journey, traveling by car from Padang to Medan. In the latter case, travelers have two routes to reach Medan.

Before reaching Siantar (as the place is colloquially called), they can turn left and cross the Karo Highlands via Kabandjahé and Brastagi (both vacation spots with numerous bungalows owned by companies and private individuals, along with many hotels and guesthouses), then via Bandar Baroe and Arnhemia (named after the nearby, now-closed tobacco plantation of the Deli Company, Arnhemia) to reach Medan. This approach brings travelers to the city from the newer side—near the Padang-Boelan tobacco plantation of the Deli Batavia Tobacco Company—entering Medan via the Padang Boelan Road, then turning right onto the broad Sultan Ma’amoen Al Rasjid Road (more like a boulevard than a road!) to reach the heart of Medan either via the aforementioned airport road or via Paleis Road and Kesawan.

Alternatively (and this route is 70 km shorter), one can avoid turning left before Siantar and instead continue straight through Siantar—a pleasant town with an excellent climate, surrounded by rubber, tea, and oil palm plantations—passing endless rubber, coconut, and oil palm estates to Tebing Tinggi, then through rubber and tobacco plantations via Perbaoengan (residence of the Sultan of Serdang), skirting Loeboek Pakam, through Tandjong Morawa (where one passes the headquarters of the Senembah Tobacco Company), finally arriving in Medan from perhaps its most charming side: the south. From afar, the playful needle of the minaret points the way, guiding travelers past the Grand Mosque—once a gift from the tobacco companies to the Sultan of Deli and the people—and opposite the mosque, nestled in a large park, the idyllic pond named after its founder, Tengkoe Chalidjah. Finally, the route passes through part of what locals call the “Chinese quarter” before crossing the railway tracks and proceeding along Kesawan to the center of Medan.

Lastly, there is a little-used way to reach Medan (though no less recommendable for those with time and a love of the rural countryside): from the north. Coming from Europe by ship, one can disembark at Sabang, then take the steamer of the Sabang Company, the Sabang Bay, to Oeleh-leuh. From there, one travels by car to Koetaradja, a town full of old memories of the Aceh War, including the Peutjoet Cemetery—a site every Dutchman should visit, pausing in silence to remember the countless dead who gave their lives in Aceh for Queen and Country. After overnighting in Koetaradja (night driving on the Koetaradja-Medan road is not advisable due to the curious habit of Aceh’s otherwise famous cattle to sleep on the road itself rather than the shoulders, not to mention herds of elephants that often cross the road at night), one can embark on the long journey to Medan in one or two stages (the first requiring about fourteen hours). The route passes through typical Acehnese towns like Sigli, Bireuen, Lho’-Seumawe, Lho’-Soekon, Idi, and Langsa—which feels more like an East Sumatra town—then through the oil town of Pangkalan Brandan, Langkat (Tandjong Poera), and Bindjei (the current residence of the Sultan of Langkat, who also has a palace in Tandjong Poera) before reaching Medan. From Langkat, the journey continues along an almost unbroken series of rubber and tobacco plantations, entering Medan via the Bindjei Road. From the city limits to the Esplanade is barely a five-minute drive.

There are other ways to reach Medan, but for foreigners and tourists, these are of relatively little importance. For example, near Tandjong Morawa, coming from Tebing Tinggi, one can turn right (highly recommended for tobacco estate enthusiasts) onto the old, now-disused road from Medan to Serdang, also called the Serdang Road. This route passes several tobacco plantations before finally crossing the Medan Estate and reaching the Esplanade via the beautiful Serdang Road. We will discuss this road further under the short excursions that can be made from Medan in the evening.

Before proceeding, we will examine each of the aforementioned routes to Medan in more detail.

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BELAWAN – MEDAN BY D.S.M.

The train ride from Belawan to Medan, aboard the comfortable and fast trains of the Deli Railway Company (D.S.M.), is interesting because it offers a clear view of the original topography of the harbor town and residency of Laboehan. Boarding at the stop near the warehouses of the shipping company where the ship docked, one first sees the single-track line to the old Belawan station, hardly distinguishable from other harbor railway lines. Yet, looking left, remnants of historic Belawan—essentially a vast marshland—can still be spotted.

This becomes even clearer after leaving Belawan station. Though the train and road run close together for a stretch, the train provides a better view of the swampy terrain than the road. This is especially evident after the train crosses the railway bridge over the Deli River—a broad but shallow stream where large patches dry up at low tide. Beyond the bridge, the train passes through the true old Laboehan landscape, where monkeys can still be seen in the trees and bushes. Foreigners may wonder how boats loaded with wood navigate the narrow river channels, but watching the Chinese or natives maneuver them at high tide reveals the skill involved.

The stations along the railway line to Medan are architecturally charming, all built of stone but oversized for current needs. Europeans are rarely seen at these stations, except at Poeloe-Brayan, where a “suburb” of Medan has developed due to the extensive D.S.M. workshops and the company hospital (though the latter has been unused since the economic crisis). Laboehan, Kampong Besar (once a settlement for laborers of the contracting company Grotius, which built the ocean harbor at Belawan), Titi Papan, and Poeloe-Brayan are all equally attractive yet equally deserted stations. In the past, all these stops had European stationmasters, as evidenced by their residences, but today only a few stations—Belawan, Medan, Tebing Tinggi, Siantar, Kisaran, and Pangkalan Brandan—still have European staff. The rest are managed by native personnel.

From Laboehan onward, the railway closely follows the main road to Medan. Since the road passes through the towns we mentioned, the train offers a view of their backside. There isn’t much to see from the train, except perhaps the Grand Mosque in Laboehan, a reminder of the town’s past.

The D.S.M. workshops at Poeloe Brayan cover a vast area, though from the train, one mainly sees the endless wall shielding the actual work area. A visit, arranged through the D.S.M. administrator in Medan, is highly recommended, as it showcases the skilled labor natives can achieve under good leadership and proper training.

Notably, these workshops installed and operated the first rail-welding machine in the Indies, joining short rails (previously standard) into longer ones (four or five short rails combined), which are more durable, provide smoother rides, and, due to their flexibility, pose no transport or laying difficulties.

Numerous houses—large, medium-sized, and native—accommodate workshop staff and private residents. Several empty houses testify to the bygone era when Deli companies employed far more European personnel than today.

The approach to Medan is soon signaled by various machine factories and small industries visible from the train. The backs of Chinese and native houses are not always pleasing to the eye, but from Gloegoer onward, the tracks multiply, and the train enters the extensive rail yard of Medan station. Soon after crossing the Serdang Road level crossing, the train halts at Medan’s second platform, where a tunnel leads to the first platform and the exit.

Outside the station, a visitor’s eye might catch a small monument in the greenery of the Esplanade park, somewhat obscured by trees, shrubs, and endless rows of taxis. This is the so-called Tamiang Monument, commemorating the expedition to Tamiang, a district in Aceh where a rebellious population necessitated a punitive campaign forty-five years ago. Many Dutch lives were lost. One survivor of that expedition still lives in Medan, faithfully attending the annual ceremony where a wreath is laid at the monument’s base—funded by an anonymous donor.

Looking back, the architecture of the modernized D.S.M. main station is pleasing. The Esplanade park, a pleasant sight for visitors, is relatively new. It was once an extensive grassy field, partly used as a football pitch in front of the White Society Club, elsewhere as a playground for children, and in the afternoons as a resting place for the Eastern population.

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BELAWAN – MEDAN BY CAR

The main road to Belawan, improved in recent years and now nearing completion, is a fine, broad avenue. Shortly after Belawan station, it turns left, and before reaching the Deli River bridge, one might spot a troop of monkeys scampering across the road and disappearing into the marshy woods to the right. Beyond the occasional tailless dog or cat and suicidal chickens, few animals are seen on the road—certainly no crocodiles (though an occasional monitor lizard) or tigers, despite occasional foreign travelogues claiming otherwise.

Soon, one reaches Laboehan—though not the original settlement known to Nienhuys. The clustered houses (petak-huizen) are rather dilapidated and old. The main road skirts the town, but one can also drive straight through, passing the typical kotta (fortified) layout. Before the road curves left around Laboehan, the smells of the fish market (right of the road, by the Deli River) greet the nose, where fishing boats unload and sell their catch. A visit to a bustling fish market is always worthwhile in the Indies, with an astonishing variety of seafood, from giants to tiny glistening fish and shrimp of all sizes.

After the detour around Laboehan proper, the Grand Mosque appears on the left—a structure almost too grand for the modest town, yet filled with hundreds of worshippers on Fridays and other Islamic holidays. Built of colored brick, it resembles a smaller version of the Sultan’s Mosque in Medan. Within the mosque’s walls, especially in the front courtyard, lie interesting grave markers of past rulers and their families.

Opposite the mosque, the walls with gun slits of an old military outpost remain, a relic from when Deli could still be restless.

A short distance beyond the mosque lies the Laboehan cemetery, where many Europeans were buried in the past. Though well-maintained, some names on the gravestones are now illegible. Few notable names for foreigners appear here. Burials have ceased in recent years, as few Europeans remain in Laboehan.

The villages of Titi Papan, Mabar (also a railway stop and namesake of the Mabar tobacco estate of the Arendsburg Tobacco Company, stretching along both sides of the road), Poeloe Brayan, and Gloegoer hold little of interest.

Gloegoer is essentially an extension of Medan. As mentioned earlier, it houses large engineering workshops—the British “Deli Estates Engineering” (managed by Harrisons and Crosfield in Medan, serving British estates on the East Coast) and a Belgian workshop owned by the Société Financière des Caoutchoucs, which operates numerous rubber and oil palm estates on Sumatra’s East Coast and Aceh (and pioneered large-scale oil palm cultivation in the region). The company’s headquarters are also in Gloegoer.

Beyond industry, Gloegoer is best known for its Deli Zoo. Initially just a wild animal trade, the zoo began when its founder, Mr. Berthold, displayed captured animals (often from plantations) for a small fee. After his death, his wife and son continued the zoo, but financial struggles led to the formation of an association to manage it. Soon, the zoo will relocate from Gloegoer to a larger site at New Polonia, complete with a restaurant and playground.

The current zoo is impressive, housing the famed orangutan “King Kong,” a massive, almost majestic creature. Many ship passengers visiting Belawan make a quick trip to see King Kong.

Several extensive Chinese cemeteries, now used by only a few families, also draw attention.

Finally, Gloegoer hosts the gas and electricity plants of the Netherlands Indies Gas Company, though these are invisible from the road. The director’s fine residence, however, is visible.

Crossing into Medan’s city limits, one passes the municipal abattoir (with strictly separated slaughter areas for cattle and pigs) on the left and a large Chinese furniture factory on the right. Near the railway crossing, the storage depots of the Bataafsche Petroleum Company and Socony, with their many tanks, come into view.

Beyond the crossing, one enters Medan proper via the Bool Road, lined with houses for employees of the Deli Company and Deli Planters’ Association (D.P.V.). Some now house private residents due to workforce reductions.

Across the tracks stands the grand D.P.V. building (architect D. Berendse), behind which are lodgings for Javanese and Chinese laborers and an asylum for elderly, destitute coolies. Nearby is the stately Deli Company Hospital (architect Lutjens).

Opposite the D.P.V. building, a small chapel-like structure amid tall trees marks a kramat (sacred grave). Originally located where the hospital now stands, it was relocated in consultation with religious leaders and the Sultan of Deli. The D.P.V. built the charming little dome now hidden among the trees. This kramat is heavily visited, with lines of cars and rickshaws often parked outside as people come to pray and offer sacrifices.

The Bool Road’s houses are all stone-built, though two retain the old-style administrator’s house design. Near the Serdang Road junction, a few wooden houses remain.

Behind the Deli Company Hospital lie the Pathological Laboratory (once the workplace of the famed Prof. Schüffner, the “sanitizer of the East Coast”) and the central pharmacy supplying the region’s hospitals.

A pleasant park, also owned by the Deli Company, includes a deer enclosure and is a favorite relaxation spot for locals, especially children.

At the entrance to the lane leading to the chief administrator’s residence and headquarters stands the statue of the late J.T. Cremer—a founder, first chief administrator, and director of the Deli Company, co-founder of the D.P.V., former minister, envoy, and parliamentarian, and an unforgettable figure in Deli’s history.

Continuing along the Bool Road, the Cremer Road leads past the Post Office (left) and Hotel de Boer (right) to the west side of the Esplanade. The first sight to catch a visitor’s eye is the Nienhuys Fountain, a monument to Deli’s pioneer. The fountain operates only on Sundays, holidays, and special occasions (hari besar), one of the few remnants of old-time celebrations.

On the right side of Cremer Road stand the white Java Bank building and the equally white Town Hall, both sometimes irreverently compared to confections. Further along, past the turn onto Demmeni Road (named after an early local commander), is the “Factory” building—the Netherlands Trading Society, still called by its old colonial-era nickname.

Approaching the intersection of Cremer Road, Nienhuys Road, Kesawan, and Hüttenbach Street (the latter named after a German merchant who started Medan’s first department store), one sees the tall Juliana Building on the corner—an office block largely occupied by Harrisons and Crosfield, a British firm managing agricultural estates.

Opposite, on Kesawan, is the agency of the “Nederland” Shipping Company, followed by Güntzel & Schumacher (agent for the Norddeutscher Lloyd and K.P.M. lines). The Grand Hotel Medan occupies the rest of Nienhuys Road.

Along the Esplanade’s opposite side, the Sociëteitsweg (Club Road), stands the White Society Club—more aptly named than its Hague counterpart. Once a men’s club, it now admits members’ wives and female members, renowned for its food, live music, and its hall—Medan’s only suitable venue for theater, concerts, and private dances. Plans to expand it by acquiring adjacent D.S.M. houses have yet to materialize.

The D.S.M. station and rail yard complete the Esplanade’s eastern boundary.

THE AIRFIELD

Medan has endured a period of hardship with its airport. This is all the more peculiar because Medan was one of the first cities in the Dutch East Indies to possess an exceptionally adequate airfield for its time. Thanks to the assistance of the Deli Company—an organization the community could always rely upon when it came to improving roads or conditions—space was secured for the establishment of an airfield. Vander Hoop, on his first journey to the Indies, had landed at the racecourse (a small monument still commemorates this event). Behind this racecourse, the Deli Company allocated a plot of land from the Polonia estate, which was soon dissolved, with the remaining lands transferred to another enterprise, Mariendal. Thus, Medan acquired its first airfield, where Fokkers from the Netherlands and KNIL (Royal Netherlands East Indies Army) Fokker aircraft from Java soon began landing and taking off. A sturdy hangar served as overnight shelter for the planes, while a modest station building housed staff, offices, and a small restaurant.

However, this airfield, suitable for Fokkers, proved inadequate for Douglas aircraft. A swift and competent search for a solution was undertaken—one that required the sacrifice of the racecourse, including its stone grandstand. Yet, in Deli, such obstacles were not feared. The racecourse was relocated, and the airfield expanded to include the old racetrack and surrounding lands. Obstacles for landing and takeoff were removed as much as possible from the edges of the new field. Thus, when Douglas aircraft replaced the Fokkers on the routes, Medan managed to maintain its place in air traffic.

But when the KLM’s Douglas DC-3s replaced the DC-2s, new issues arose with Medan’s airfield. These giants required longer runways, which now extended dangerously close to the surrounding trees, making takeoffs and landings perilous. The problems were so severe that KLM rerouted its flights to bypass Medan—from Alor Star not to Medan but directly to Singapore—while a small KNIL-operated Fokker line connected Medan with Alor Star. It was during this time that Medan and its hinterland truly felt the significance of direct KLM connections for business.

ARRIVAL IN MEDAN

A stranger approaching Medan from the air first sees the mosque with its playful minaret, the Sultan’s palaces, the water tower, and a few tall and large buildings (Juliana House, H.V.A. Building, Factory, AVROS Building with its green dome, Nillmij Building, Deli Company Building), as well as the broad tracks of the DSM railway cutting through the cityscape. Then, the plane flies over the Polonia residential area with its green yards and white houses before finally circling above the airfield, descending, and taxiing to the small terminal.

The terminal remains modest, forcing travelers to make do. This is unfortunate, as Medan lacks the appeal of other cities with airports that offer better facilities for waiting and relaxation. Once formalities are completed, the newly arrived traveler typically departs as quickly as possible by car to their destination—whether a hotel or the home of family or friends.

FROM THE AIRFIELD TO THE CITY

There is only one road from the airfield to the city: Manggalaan. After a short drive, this avenue intersects the broad Sultan Ma’moen Al Rasjid Road—commonly called Sultansweg—named after the father of the current Sultan of Deli. This road winds from Padang Boelan Road through the Polonia district to Paleisweg, the extension of Kesawan. One can turn right and, via Sultansweg, Paleisweg, and Kesawan, reach the Esplanade. This route is preferable to the one via Manggalaan and Demmenie Road, as it offers a glimpse of Medan’s shopping street, even if slightly longer.

From Manggalaan, the driver turns right onto Sultansweg, passing stately residences, including the mayor’s official residence at the corner of Manggalaan. Further along, on the right, is the elegant temporary residence of the Governor of Sumatra. Behind the park with the P.W. Janssen Bank stands the large St. Elisabeth Hospital, and opposite it, the new Christian European School (Princess Beatrix School). Only one office building stands out—the Amsterdam Trade Association (H.V.A.) building (architect Fermont) on the left side of Sultansweg.

Crossing the Sultan’s Bridge, one reaches Paleisweg, turning left. Here, several large buildings draw attention: the annex of the Grand Hotel Medan, the modern Post Savings Bank building, the semi-permanent Whiteaway Laidlaw building, and the grand AVROS Building (General Association of Rubber Planters on Sumatra’s East Coast). Nearby are various shops, including those of Begeer, Kempen, and Vos. The AVROS Building marks the corner of Paleisweg at the intersection with Soekamoelia, Kesawan, and Kerkstraat. Next to it on Soekamoelia stands the large Nillmij Building, housing offices and shops. Opposite is the beautifully renovated Rathkamp & Co. building.

KESAWAN: MEDAN’S MAIN SHOPPING STREET

Kesawan (derived from sawah, reflecting its rural past) is Medan’s primary shopping street. Bombay shops line the street, interspersed with Chinese, Japanese, and a few European or local businesses. Notable buildings include the Escompto Building, the former home of the wealthy Chinese Major Tjong A Fie’s widow, and the “De Zon” department store. The Geo Wehry import-export office rises prominently among the single-story shops, as does the Seng Hap Trading Company, whose interior reveals its former life as a bazaar.

Across the street, starting at the Soekamoelia intersection, stands the office and showroom of Carl Schlieper, the former Tokra department store (now the Industrial Company of the Van Swaay brothers), the bustling Epperlein lunchroom, the Chartered Bank of India, China and Australia (Deli’s oldest bank), and the modern Hwa Nam furniture store.

ARRIVAL AT THE ESPLANADE

Air travelers finally reach the Esplanade, continuing straight to Hotel de Boer or turning right to the Grand Hotel Medan.

ALTERNATE ROUTE VIA MANGGALAAN

The route through Manggalaan passes the charming Protestant Church (architect Eilander), featuring a unique pipe-less organ built in a klamboe (mosquito net) room—a distinctly Indies instrument, though not visually striking. Opposite is the Deli Proefstation (Deli Experimental Station), dedicated to tobacco cultivation, originally intended as an extension of the Bogor Botanical Gardens but soon becoming an independent institution.

Further along, past residences, lies the military parade ground, with the Medan Tennis Club occupying half the space. The old Benteng (fort) building, with its shooting slits and fortress-like appearance, now serves as a military storage depot, with an adjacent infirmary for the small Medan garrison.

After Kampementsweg (Polonia Road), the car turns right over the elegant new Demmeni Bridge (designed by municipal architects Valk and Niels Thiele), soon arriving at the Esplanade.