Frontrunner Science Research #3; Bosscha Observatory

Karel Albert Rudolf Bosscha was one of ordinary European immigrant when he arrived in Java island. Like many of his counterpart he had a dream to start his own venture

As early as 1870 the so called forced cultivation (Cultuurstelsel, the colonial system of forced farming) was abolished. The Agrarian Law (Land Act) of 1870, which replaced the oppressive, government-run Plantation System with free enterprise and private ownership, encouraged a massive influx of immigrants from Europe who were eager to take advantage of the new economic opportunities in the profitable colony (Gill,1998).

Bosscha arrived in Dutch Indies in 1887, he further shoehorned his administrative skills by working at various industry sectors until 1894. Graduated from Polytechnic School in Delft he had a stint of working experiences from Gold mining in Sambas (Kalimantan, formerly Borneo) to the inception of a new telecommunication company; “Preanger Phone” in 1895. He began the new venture of tea cultivation as early as 1896.

The tea cultivation was not known in the area except those in China, where the British was able to sneak through the impenetrable and closely guarded tea cultivation secret. Tea was then supposedly for King consummate only. To make it short by this period the British had already successfully cultivated tea on the Himalayan areas. Through his associates funding resources Bosscha had in his possession the concession to cultivate Pengalengan plateau; as he was confident that the place could provide ideal condition as good as the foot hill of Himalayan.

In spite of it’s highly risks venture he went forward developing tea cultivation research suitable for the area. Tea plantation know how was not widely available then (particularly large scale production technology), he started the whole development from merely a scratch. Yet within ten years development of NV Assam Tea Company he could provide his investor an 80% dividend yields on top of the whole investment return.

Over the years, the area always increased of up to 1000 ha. at one time. And the quality of Malabar tea the brand it was introduced to the market continued to improve. SA ‘Malabar’ was in many respects a model for the Dutch East Indies tea culture, especially because Bosscha never failed utilizing the latest scientific technical inventions in the field of soil mining preparation, exploitation, test planting and empirical applications.

He even further designed and constructed the first Hydro Power Generation off the Tjilaki River. The power station was the first kind ever (and the oldest) to supply electricity to his Malabar tea factory as well as for Bandung city. Today his power station is still running. He was also the co-founder and Commissioner of many other plantation enterprises, such as the tea companies of Wanasoeka, Taloen, Sitiardja, Radja Mandala, Ardjoena, Papandajan, Sindangwangi and Boekit Lawang.

Bosscha had also involved in the inception many other ventures branching out of his tea and power generation line of business including amongst other ; Automobile importing dealership, Rubber plantation, Insurance and many more. By this time then he was established himself as a conglomerate tycoon as well as philantropist. He donated thousands of Dollars worth to Bandung’s own; University (ITB 1920), Cancer Center (1924) and our next interest the Lembang Observatory (1923).

The observatory is named after the tea plantation tycoon; Bosscha. The facility had provided and contributed a lot of scientific research in Astronomy field, from the most Southern part of hemisphere (the first kind ever and the oldest, then!). For his merits he was in 1921 awarded the ereburgerschap of Bandoeng. Although Bosscha had no great interest in politics, he was still many years a member of the Regional Council of the Preanger-Regent shelves and in 1918 elected the first Dutchman in the People’s Council, where he sat for three years.

Officially he remained unmarried to his death due to the interracial marriage regulation of the time; which restricted him to marry his local lady lover. Though Bosscha had almost passed away for 81 years; we could still admire his fruitful invention today as one of Dutch Indies Traits Heritage.

Source : wiki & Institute for Dutch History (ING)

Technorati Tags: Dutch Indies traits,heritage,science frontier,bosscha bio

Science Research Frontrunner #2

Another famous botanist was the Dutch J Teijsmann for stimulating the introduction of the cassava (from the island of Batam, near Sumatra) as a food source to alleviate prevalent famines in the then Dutch Indies. Cassava represents one of many food sources which is easily cultivated without the need of much water as paddies field and most importantly does not impair the glass house effect as much as well.

Later on in the mid 1900s when rice was taken away by the Japanese Imperial Army, the food became scarce; it was cassava the most available substitute. Its product derivative also provides raw material for many Industry sectors. Nowadays the Southern part of Sumatra produces the most and it was this commodity over which the well known Bakri empire conglomerate was developed from.

His personal interest in palm trees led him to introduce to Indonesia the oil palm (from West Africa) which is until the present highly important to much economy of Indonesia today, in mid 1900s Palm oil was the biggest exporting commodities in the world. The genus Johannesteijsmannia is named in his honour, together with several plant species.

There is no doubt that science technology has shaped and driven much of the development of large scale industrialization, whether such industry rely on heavy portion of technology input or those which involve lots of human resources such as the case in Agro-industry. The Agro-industry was in its infancy period when the Dutch Indies Government allows large influx of European immigrants to spur the major industrial privatizations back in early 1900s.

Argumentatively the Dutch colonialism had brought about much lingering sufferings to us the indigenous people of Indonesia. Thousands had died and perished during forced cultivation in 1800s; the indigenous were forced as slaves to cultivate those high value commodities for the Dutch to be exported worldwide. And thousands more on other imperialism means including the construction of the great main post road connecting Java Island along the coast for “Defence” purposes.

Yet since our independence through the cost of millions of souls right after Japanese Imperial’s WW II lost, we had assumed much of intangible as well as tangible assets to our own. These include the main topic of this blog the heritage of Bandung city. Ranging from the infrastructure of Bandung, old Dutch buildings and its 1920’s building architecture style: in particular which brought about our own Saskava House. The old Dutch building with its unique Dutch Indies traits.

In its hey day the 1920s marked the era of significant growth of Bandung city development as well as the center for many agro- industry sectors including tea, coffee, rubber and cinchona (natural resources for Malaria Pills) plantations. It all stemmed out of our natural richness and the beauty of Bandung’s own natural attractions. Our soil was and might be still the most easily cultivating soil for agricultural purposes. Volcano activities have blessed the soil in its own way, literary anything thrown upon the soil it will grow!

Had it not been for the soil the Dutch would have never been attracted to come at all; they had developed most plantation of clove, rubber, tea etc. Science Research Frontrunner #2 to be continued…

Source : wiki

Technorati Tags: Dutch Indies traits,heritage,science frontier