Candrian Attahiyyat, On the Hunt for Jakarta’s Historical Heritage
Although he is retired, Candrian Attahiyyat, 61, still heads out to spend long hours under the blazing sun, at times trudging through muddy ground, in search of the undiscovered historical heritage of Jakarta.
"We go by foot on Friday," Candrian messaged on Wednesday via WhatsApp, referring to trekking the riparian areas of the Ciliwung River from the top of Jl. Kunir to Jl. Tongkol in North Jakarta.
Candrian wanted to explore the 2-kilometer stretch of the Ciliwung for signs of Jakarta\'s rich colonial history that had never been uncovered.
On the agreed day, Candrian arrived with two others he had invited to come along: Lulu Azizah, who works as a guide at the Jakarta History Museum, and Galih Abi from the Jakarta Cultural Heritage Expert Team (TACB). The trek began at 2 p.m., starting out from the Jakarta History Museum towards Jl. Kunir. From there, we turned east and then north along the banks of the river.
We saw a number of objects and structural ruins that appeared to be worthless, but were in fact a heritage of Jakarta’s history. These included the foundation of an old bridge that was thought to have been built in the early 19th century, wood fragments bearing the insignia of Staatsspoorwegen (SS), the Dutch East Indies railroad company that operated in 1875-1925, and the ruins of a brick wall that was also believed to have been built at the beginning of the 19th century.
Finally, Candrian invited us to view a wooden post measuring 40 centimeters in diameter along the banks of the river, just south of Sunda Kelapa Port in North Jakarta. The large wooden post was ugly, with some used diapers hanging from it, but has an intriguing history.
Candrian said the post marked the location of a small pier that was believed to have operated at the beginning of the 20th century. The pier was likely used for loading and unloading goods, but he could not confirm the name or business of the company that owned the pier.
"An aerial photograph taken in 1930 showed activities at the pier," he said.
Getting to the wooden post was the most challenging part of the trek. The post stands about 2 meters from the river embankment, which is fitted only with wooden stairs for climbing down the 3 meters to the Ciliwung. Another challenge awaited us upon reaching the riverbank, which was very slippery in parts. If were not careful, we could fall into the river. However, this did not bother Candrian, who descended the stairs and plunged his shoes into the muddy bank. His mission was to document the wooden post using the tripod and camcorder that he always kept at hand.
He kept the camera running as he walked to create a documentary video for loading on YouTube. Sweat soaked his clothes, but his face was bright with enthusiasm. His quest to capture historical evidence prevented the former employee of the Jakarta administration from becoming tired.
Candrian is extremely dedicated to his job. This trip was not his first, and would very likely not be his last. His next adventure could be just as challenging or even more challenging than this trek.
He hopes to venture into the field every week or every month to capture video documentation of Jakarta’s artifacts, especially those that date to its colonial history. Much of Jakarta’s cultural heritage has not been recorded, such as those found along the banks of the Ciliwung.
History
Candrian was introduced to the world of archeology through his grandfather, the late Wadjad, and his father, the late Kasngad. Neither were archaeologists, but the many stories they told addicted him to history.
His grandfather once told him the story of how he helped build Jakarta’s fortresses before World War II. His father was taken prisoner on a Japanese warship in 1944-1945, when he was only 12 years old. However, the ship broke down in the waters off Nusakambangan Island in Cilacap, Central Java. Candrian became fascinated by history through the personal connections his grandfather and father had to the Dutch colonial era.
Candrian, who has been on the TACB team since 2014, said he was enamored by the design of Batavia, which can still be seen today in the Kota Tua (Old City) area. "When I was in elementary school, my uncle invited me to the BNI 46 building, and the Old City was nothing special then. In high school, I went there again and I became fascinated. How could there be buildings as old as that?" he said.
In pursuing his university education, he first studied civil engineering for two years at a private university. However, Candrian was unable to bury his desire to become an archaeologist, so in 1979, he enrolled in the archeology department at the University of Indonesia.
Graduating in 1985, Candrian immediately found work as a contract employee at the Jakarta History Museum. Even though he was not a civil servant, he often represented the museum head because of his extensive knowledge.
He almost gave up on his aspiration to become a civil servant, because he had failed the recruitment test for three consecutive years. However, the fortuitous experience of being scolded by Anwar Ilmar, who was then the deputy governor of Jakarta, opened a way for him.
"Because I was not a [permanent] employee, I did not have a uniform to wear when I represented the museum head at a meeting. Pak Anwar scolded me for being undisciplined outside the meeting room,” Candrian recalled. On learning that Candrian had not been appointed as a civil servant, the deputy governor told him to retake the test, which he finally passed in 1987.
During his career in the Jakarta administration, Candrian was appointed to a number of positions, including as the head of the Jakarta Conservation Center, a position he held until he retired in 2013.
Even in his retirement, he still continues the work he loves, looking for artifacts that must be preserved and declared as a cultural heritage.
Candrian always asks someone to join him during his trips into the field. This was one way to spread information among relevant colleagues about the historical inheritance that needed to be preserved. He occasionally invites officials from the Jakarta administration so that a regulation could be drafted on conserving the cultural heritage.
Candrian is eager to explore using the internet and social media channels as a means of disseminating information on the heritage objects. This is why he always brings a camcorder on every trip. He makes an effort to upload videos on his archaeological trips every week to his channel, Dokumentasi Peninggalan Sejarah (historical heritage documentation). He has uploaded 174 videos since 2016 and has 2,216 subscribers to date. But his work is not yet done, so Candrian will continue with his quest.
"At my age, I face two threats. First, death. Second, becoming unable to conduct field surveys due to old age. So I am rushing to document everything," he said.
Candrian Attahiyyat
Born: Jakarta, Sept. 4, 1957
Wife: Liswati
Children: Rizki Hidayati, Hafizha Hudaya
Education: Bachelor of Archeology, the University of Indonesia (1979-1985)
Occupation:
- member, Jakarta Cultural Heritage Expert Team (2014-present)
- Jakarta Conservation Center head
- Jakarta Urban Area Technical Planning and Development Unit head
- head of supervision, Jakarta Culture and Museums Office
Publications:
Onrust: Pulau Tanpa Istirahat, Yang Telah Istirahat (Onrust: Restless island at rest), Erasmus Huis and Jakarta History Museum, 1991