Stories from Deli

The execution of four Chinese, sentenced to death for the murders committed in Maryland, took place early Thursday morning on the square in front of the prison. Despite the early morning hour, many spectators were present, but very few of them were Chinese. Calmly and apparently calmly, the condemned men ascended the scaffold two by two…

(Written for the Batavia Newspaper 17-06-1893) I. SCHETSEN UIT DELI. Bataviaasch nieuwsblad 17-06-1893 One may have traveled extensively and may even be rightfully honored with the title of “globetrotter,” but until one has visited the East Coast of Sumatra, even if only for a relatively short time, one cannot claim to have seen everything noteworthy…

On December 26, 1900, at 11 p.m., the Chinese Captain of Medan moved into his new house. This festive event was celebrated for days in advance, with a wayang (shadow puppet show) being performed in a roughly built shed in the forecourt, which was transformed into an idyllic backdrop with glittering decorations and phrases. Dressed…

UNDER THE LINE: 250,000 Years Old Algemeen handelsblad voor Nederlandsch-Indië03-11-1924 We held it in our hands on Wednesday morning, the Stone of the Ancients, carefully wrapped in a piece of cloth. We received it with reverence from Dr. Stein, the Inspector of the Archaeological Service, who arrived from Java the day before. And we regarded…

Soerabaijasch handelsblad 22-03-1932 The House of the Dwarfs and the First Paleolithic Tool Halfway between Medan and Brastagi lies the small town of Sibolangit, known, among other things, for its botanical garden established by the Department of Agriculture and the Deli planters. The road there is bordered on the right by a very deep ravine,…

Dr. J.H. Druif was a pivotal figure in the development and governance of football in Medan, serving as the chairman of the Medan District of the Oost Sumatra Voetbal Bond (O.S.V.B.) for a decade. His tenure, which began in the early 1930s, was characterized by strong leadership, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to building…

Deli Courant 10-10-1936 Great interest from all circles. This morning, under great interest, the marriage was solemnized in the Roman Catholic Church on the Paleisweg between Miss Tjong Sce Yin, daughter of the late Major of the Chinese, Tjong A Fie, and Mr. M. Lemye, accountant at the Société Financière and Belgian vice-consul in this…

Rewritten from The Sydney Morning Herald 11 Jun 1938  Professor Pieter Vincent van Stein Callenfels, the eminent Dutch anthropologist and preeminent authority on the prehistory of Southeast Asia, was a figure as renowned for his scholarly contributions as for his larger-than-life persona. Known across the “Far East”—including the Netherlands Indies, Malaya, the Philippine Islands, Siam,…

Tubantia 14-04-1877 A Talk About Sumatra On the eastern coast of the richly blessed Sumatra, south of the Aceh States, and bordered to the east by the Strait of Malacca, to the west by the independent villages and districts of the Bataks, and further by the mountains that separate them from the Padang highlands, lie…

Java Bode 03-04-1869 Deli (East Coast of Sumatra) We extract the following details about the state of this kingdom from a report by the Resident of Riouw from January of this year. The current Sultan of Deli is a wise ruler, aware of the superior quality of European systems of governance and administration. He is…