Looking Back at the History of Polonia Medan, Evidence of 1.5 Centuries of Indonesian-Polish Relations

The name Polonia area in Medan was first given by Polish investors in 1872. The name is popular to this day.

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People cross in front of the Polonia Villa in the Polonia District of Medan, North Sumatra, on Friday (26/4/2024). The Polonia area is familiar to Medan residents, but not many know its history.

The name Polonia is very familiar to residents of Medan City, North Sumatra. Once the name of an airport, Polonia is still used as the name of a sub-district, hotel, restaurant, business center and housing complex. However, not many people know that Polonia is evidence of an important history of relations between Indonesia and Poland since 1872. The name Polonia, which means diaspora Poland, lasted more than 150 years.

The Polonia area was originally a plantation concession covering an area of ​​1,100 hectares. The concession was given by the Sultan of Deli to an investor from Poland named Ludwik Michalsky. The land was then developed into a tobacco plantation, the world's favorite commodity at that time. Polonia has also become an important part of the history of Medan's development as a city.

To trace the history of Poland in North Sumatra, Polish Ambassador to Indonesia Beata Stoczynska conducted a series of visits to Medan. She and the delegation from the Polish Embassy greatly admired the name Polonia, which is still widely used in Medan, especially in the Polonia District.

During the peak of her visit, Beata attended a seminar entitled "The Relationship between Poland and Medan-North Sumatra in the 19th and early 20th centuries" held by the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at the University of North Sumatra (USU) on Thursday (25/4/2024) in Medan.

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The Ambassador of Poland to Indonesia, Beata Stoczynska, delivered a speech at a seminar on the history of Poland-Indonesia relations at USU campus in Medan on Friday (26/4/2024).

The seminar was attended by the Vice Rector III of USU, Poppy Anjelisa Z Hasibuan, the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at USU, T Thyrhaya Zein, and the Professor of History at USU, Budi Agustono. Lecturers from Jagiellonian University Poland, Dr. Lukasz Stach, and book author Piotr Smieszek were the speakers via video conference connection.

"Polonia is very familiar to the people of Medan. However, the name that is well-known gradually fades from the public's memory because it is rarely talked about," said Budi during the seminar.

Budi stated that Medan has become a very cosmopolitan city since the opening of tobacco plantations in East Sumatra. The opening of large-scale plantations was done by Jacob Nienhuys, a Dutch tobacco trader who came to Labuhan Deli in 1863.

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Since then, Medan has become an international city visited and inhabited by people from various parts of the world, such as the Netherlands, European countries, America, China, and even India. "There are many citizens of the world who come to East Sumatra, both as tourists and investors," said Budi.

The Dutch trading company, Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij (NHM), was attracted to the quality and profitability of the plantation established by Nienhuys. NHM formed a new company called Deli Maatschappij. The corporation grew to become the first, largest, and most important tobacco company in Southeast Asia.

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Professor of History at Sumatera Utara University, Budi Agustono, was a speaker at a seminar on the history of the relationship between Poland and Indonesia, held at the USU campus in Medan on Friday (26/4/2024).

The Netherlands then invited investors from Europe and America to invest in tobacco plantations, which at that time were a world-famous commodity. On the other hand, the power of the Deli Sultanate gradually weakened as Dutch power expanded.

Finally, Sultan Deli chose to work with the Netherlands to develop plantation capitalism. "Sultan Deli, however, had to understand the logic of rapidly developing capitalism at that time. Capitalism had an extraordinary influence on the Sultan Deli's cognition. Without learning from the international community, he would not be able to manage the plantation," said Budi.

A major investor from Poland named Ludwik Michalsky also came to Medan. In 1869, Michalsky was given a land concession of 1,100 hectares by Sultan Deli. The concession was located between the Deli River and the Babura River. The very fertile area was then planted with tobacco and poplar (a cotton-producing plant). In addition to establishing plantations, Michalsky also built a horse farm.

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"Michalsky then named his concession with the name Perkebunan Polonia in 1872. The area, which until now has become the Polonia District of Medan," said Budi.

For 12 years, Michalsky worked with Deli Maatschappij to run his business. However, in 1884, Michalsky closed his plantation and livestock business in East Sumatra, a few years before the tobacco crisis hit.

The tobacco industry crisis occurred due to a steep drop in prices from 1888 to 1890. Michalsky closed his business, even though his concession contract was still valid until December 14, 1944. He transferred the Polonia concession rights to the Langkat Association company before returning to Europe.

DOKUMENTASI PROF BUDI AGUSTONO

Documentation of the Medan Merdeka Square area and the surrounding Dutch East Indies government center.

In 1889, Langkat Association's assets were handed over to Deli Maatschappij, including the Polonia plantation. The plantation's location was considered strategic because it was close to the East Sumatra government center at that time, in the Lapangan Merdeka area. The Dutch eventually established a settlement for Europeans in the Polonia area. Military barracks were also built there.

In the early 20th century, the Netherlands also established hospitals whose buildings are still in use today, such as the Santa Elisabeth Hospital in Medan. In addition, consulate offices, schools, police stations, and government buildings were also constructed in the East Sumatra residency.

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Polonia is very familiar to the people of Medan. However, the name that is familiar in people's memory gradually disappears from history because it is rarely discussed.

"Then, an airport was built and given the name Polonia Airfield. In the 1920s, the Deli Maatschappij company built Polonia Airfield on a 1,000 meter by 600 meter area (60 hectares)," said Budi.

With the increasing air traffic activity in Medan, Polonia Airport is being expanded to 350 hectares. The name Polonia Airport was maintained until 2013 after commercial flights were transferred to Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang. Polonia Airport then changed its name to Soewondo Air Force Base.

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People cross Mongonsidi Street, Polonia District, Medan, North Sumatra, on Friday (26/4/2024). Polonia is familiar to the people of Medan, but not many know its history.

Piotr Smieszek, author of the book The Country of Poland for Beginners, said that Poland's relationship with Indonesia is not just a similarity of the flag with the colors reversed.

Although the name Polonia is no longer attached to the airport, the historical traces of Poland's relationship with Indonesia, especially in Medan City, can still be clearly seen in the names of districts, hotels, housing complexes, and so on.

"The Netherlands built Polonia Airport since 1928 and Indonesia still maintained that name until 2013. This is a great tribute to the history of Indonesia's relationship with Poland," said Smieszek.

According to Lukasz Stach, Michalski arrived in northern Sumatra in 1869. Utilizing his experience as a former soldier in Austria, he became a close friend and military advisor to Sultan Deli.

Beata stated that Indonesia's diplomatic relations with Poland will be 70 years old next year. The history of Poland's relations with Indonesia, especially in Medan, is even longer, more than 150 years. This long history serves as a foundation to build future relationships. "Medan is a special place for Poland," she said.

Now, Indonesia and Poland are further strengthening their cooperation, especially in the field of maritime infrastructure and education. In Medan, the name Polonia remains dear to its people. Starting from a tobacco plantation, Polonia is now the heart of the city.