Finding location of “Capitulatie van Toentang”

There is a quotation that said “Old places have a soul”, it is true if u know about the story of the old places, but if u don’t know, that old place just a place without a soul. 

In this article I want to explain about one of the most valuable places in Salatiga that never explain before. This building has a correlation to “Capitulatie Toentang” that conducted on 1811. According to some literatures that published in Indonesia such as “Perang Napoleon di Jawa 1811” writen by Jean Rocher and “Penaklukkan Pulau Jawa” writen by Mayor William Thorn. Several literatures never gave precise location of this affair, they just said the location just around Tuntang river or in Tuntang area.

            Before I give further explanation about the location of this affair, firstly i want to explain about, what a Capitulatie Toentang is. This treaty happened around September or October 1811 in Salatiga. It was because England wanted to conquest Java as their authority, at the same time Java was under the France control. Therefore, the war between those are nations couldn’t be avoided. England military who led by Gen. Auchmuty was success to repulse France military from Semarang until Salatiga as the last fortress (fort the hersteleer- Salatiga fort). Finally, France military that led by Gen. Janssens was subjected, hence they give their authority of Java and the other islands to England. This is the short explanation about Capitulatie Toentang that happened in Salatiga. Actually, this affair was realy prominent not only for us but also for those countries who involved in this history, then it was also the beginning of England conquest in Java that led by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles as a governor general.

Gen. Auchmuty

Gen. Janssens

            Seeking the precise location of this affair isn’t a simple job, we have to compare one evident or archieve with the other archieves to get a fact. However, not many sources which provide information about the story of it. I received some literatures that majority written by foreign writer. Initialy, I believed that the location of Capitulatie Toentang was in around Toentang river, it was because i read from several books, then I also met with one of the figures from Salatiga who has some documents and archives about the history of militair in Salatiga, his name is Mr.Slamet Rahardjo. He showed me one aerial photo that depicted about the location of Capitulatie Toentang which be marked by red circle on that photo. According to Mr. Slamet Rahardjo's version, the location of this affair was in the location that nowadays known as coffee plantation of Banaran (near Toentang river). Unfortunately, He never gave me further explanation about his source of information that can show the aerial photo about this location.

            At 12 February 2017, I received a message from my friend Moh. Yogi Fajri (One of the young activist that concern in history of Semarang). He asked me about the location of Military Hospital in Salatiga that operated in 1915. Directly, I replied his message by answering that old military hospital was located in Nanggulan-Salatiga which the named change to be RS.DKT Salatiga. In the same time, I checked my photo archieve from 1940 that depict about the location of militair hospital that located near kerkof (Dutch graveyard) that nowadays become RS. DKT Salatiga. However I remember, DKT hospital of Salatiga was the second location of military hospital in dutch colonial era.

Subsequently, He sent me a picture of a book entitled Java : Past and Present by Donald Maclaine Campbell which published at London 1915. This book said that “a military hospital was the location the meeting for Capitulatie between Gen. Auchmuty and Gen. Janssens in 1811”. Reading this information made me remember about military office that i ever visited in 2012 when i heald a historical trip with some students from UKSW-Salatiga. In this military office, I received an information from the chief military that this office initialy was a military hospital during Dutch colonial era. But, I have to ensure my memori through comparing to the other sources. So, I corrected my previous information to Yogi that the location might be in that military office.

Aerial photo of Korem 073 (Diponegoro street) 1928

On the next day, I got additional information from my friend’s Warin Darsono (Heritage activist of Salatiga).  He was ever interviewing several dutch man who ever stayed in Salatiga during Dutch Colonial era. Through the one of the interviewee information, he said that in the military office that i mention above, there are stayed a woman doctor. This kind of information could strength the information from the military chief that this office-nowadays we known as Korem O73 Salatiga (Diponegoro Street) was the location of military hospital. In the afternoon, I went to Korem 073 to confirm this kind of information, then I received information from one of the soldiers that stayed in a guardhouse. He said that the building of korem 073 that be used as a military hospital in dutch collonial era was the Korem building which located in Yos Sudarso street- Salatiga (near “Perhutani”) not the office that located in Diponegoro street. Diponegoro street is the main street in Salatiga and Yos Sudarso street is the street behind the Diponegoro street.

Korem 073 office in Yos Sudarso street which was the military hospital on Dutch Colonial era before DKT Hospital of Salatiga. source: Korem.

 Having the last information from this soldier made me confused because i have different information about the location. Therefore I try to digging information through observing the position of two korem buildings from the fort The hersteler photo archieve. I got the point of the location of “Capitulatie Toentang” on Fort The Hersteleer photo archieve, but i am not enteraly sure about the precise location. I can’t determine the precise location, but I am believes that the location of Capitulatie Toentang is between those Korem 073 offices. I   estimate, why this meeting named as “Toentang”, it is because the meeting held in the Toentang street-Salatiga. Diponegoro street of Salatiga was known as Toentang street in Dutch Colonial era.

I guess that korem 073 building was among red circle buldings.
source: J Nelly 

I hope this article will encourage the people and historians to make a further observation to get precise location of Capitulatie Toentang with trustworthy document or information.

kamar, Salatiga 30 September 2017

Abel Jatayu Prakosa