Monument Van Der Wijck Built to Express Gratitude to the Fishermen Who Helped the Accident Victims

Kapanlagi.com - The sinking of the Van Der Wijck ship on November 20, 1936 became a legend in the wider community. But not many realize that the story actually happened in Lamongan, with remnants of evidence that can still be found today.

The public is more familiar with the Van Der Wijck ship as the title of the novel by Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah or Buya Hamka, which is indeed set in the shipwreck. The novel Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Vijck has been mentioned several times in Indonesian Language and Literature lessons since Elementary School (SD), and even became mandatory reading.

The novel represents the work of the Pujangga Baru literary generation, contemporary with Layar Terkembang (Sutan Takdir Alisabana), Kalau Tak Untung (Sariamin Ismail), Madah Kelana (Sanusi Pane), and others. Therefore, the romantic story of the characters, Zainudin and Hayati, in Tenggelamnya Van Der Wijck still remains in memory.

The romantic story between Zainudin and Hayati ends with sadness. Because Hayati, who 'brings back' her love to Tanah Minang, becomes one of the passengers on the ship. Hayati's meeting with Zainudin in the moments before her death becomes the climax of the romantic story by the Muhammadiyah figure.

1. Once Raised on the Big Screen

© KapanLagi.com/Darmadi Sasongko

In addition, the story of the sinking of the Van Der Wijck ship was also raised on the big screen by director Sunil Soraya. The film was produced in 2013 and starred artists Pevita Pearce, Herjunot Ali, Reza Rahardian, and Randy Danistha.

The evidence of the Van Der Wijck shipwreck that can still be easily found is a memorial monument built by the Dutch East Indies government. The monument is located in the complex of the Indonesian Fisheries Public Company (Perum) Branch of Brondong, Lamongan Regency.

The location is easy to find, right behind the TPI Brondong Traffic Police Post, Deandles Street, the main road connecting Surabaya-Tuban. The monument building is adjacent to a cellular company tower.

2. Say Thank You to the Fishermen

© KapanLagi.com/Darmadi Sasongko

The monument consists of three floors, and on the second floor, there is a balcony facing the sea (north). The building itself measures about 2.5 meters x 3 meters with a height of 10 meters.

The monument was built as a form of gratitude to the local fishermen who helped the victims of the Van Der Wijck shipwreck. Two plaques are attached to both sides of the building, written in old Dutch and Indonesian spelling.

"Warning to the Rescuers of the Van Der Wijck Shipwreck DDC October 19-20, 1936," the inscription on the plaque reads.

The Indonesian plaque is located on the west side (from the sea), so it is directly visible to visitors. Meanwhile, the Dutch plaque is located behind it (east), which was surrounded by grass at that time.

"Martinus Jacobus Uytererk Radiotelegraphist on board S.S Van Der Wijck October 20, 1936. He Remained Faithful Until Death. May His Memory Be Honored. His Friends," the inscription reads.

3. Van Der Wijck Name of the Governor of the Dutch East Indies

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The name Van Der Wijck itself is actually the name of the Governor of the Dutch East Indies, Jonkheer Carel Herman Aart van der Wijck (1840–1914) who ruled from 1893-1899. His name was used for a luxurious passenger ship owned by the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM) in 1921.

The Van Der Wijck ship was built in Fyenoord, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Meanwhile, KPM itself was later nationalized and became Pelayaran Indonesia (PELNI).

At that time, the ship sailed from Bali to Jakarta, stopping at Surabaya and Semarang. However, after leaving Tanjung Perak Surabaya, the ship, captained by B.C Akkeman, had an accident in Teluk Lamong, which is in the Lamongan district.

"We only heard stories from our parents that there was a major ship accident. The passengers were rescued by the fishermen here. So the story has been passed down from my father, it happened during my grandmother's time," said Suhandoyo (38), a resident of Brondong.

4. Capacity of 1093

Based on records, Kapal Van der Wijck has a capacity of 1093 passengers with First Class (VVIP) capacity of 60 people, Second Class (VIP) capacity of 34 people, and Economy Class capacity of 999 people. The ship has a gross weight (GT) of 2,633 tons, a net weight (nett) of 1,512 tons, and a carrying capacity of 1,801 tons. The ship is 97.5 meters long, 13.4 meters wide, and 8.5 meters high.

The ship is currently located at a mid-ocean depth that is said to be visited by many treasure hunters according to the local community.

Meanwhile, the Van Der Wijck monument itself often receives visits from people from various regions, including students studying history. However, serious management as a tourist destination has not yet been implemented.

(kpl/dar/CDP)