Lawang Sewu

Lawang Sewu

            Lawang Sewu in Indonesian means ‘pintu seribu’, is a historic building in Indonesia located in Semarang, Central Java. It was an office of Nederlands-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij. It was built on February 27, 1904 and was finished on July 1, 1907. It is exactly located in bundaran Tugu Muda.

Local people named it Lawang Sewu because it has a lot of doors, although in fact the number of the doors does not reach one thousand. It has a lot of wide and high windows, so that people often consider them as doors (lawang). That ancient and luxurious building was used as the office of Djawatan Kereta Api Repoeblik Indonesia (DKARI) or PT Kereta Api Indonesia, currently. It was also used as the office of Badan Prasarana Komando Daerah Militer (Kondam IV/Diponegoro) and as the office of Wilayah Kementerian Perhubungan Jawa Tengah. When the incident of Pertempuran lima hari di Semarang lasted from October 14 to 19, 1945, it became a great combat location between Angkatan Muda Kereta Api against Kempetai and Kidobutai of Japan. Therefore, the government of Semarang with Surat Keputusan Wali Kota nomor 650/50/1992, took Lawang Sewu as one of 102 ancient and historic buildings in Semarang which must be kept.

It was a dumb witness about the darkness of colonialism at that time, made it became a place of full of mystery in Central Java. In addition, that place was also a history witness where our heroes battled to expel the soldiers of Japan, even thousands of battlers from Indonesia which were tortured there. According to some people around it, thousands of supernatural beings settle inside. Even, in some certain points, from an old well, main door, corridors, standing jail, squatting jail, main room, and in torture room. It is not a secret anymore that horror stories, such as kuntilanak, genderuwo, a ghost like Dutch soldier or Japan soldier, and Dutch woman ghost are often heard in those locations.

The most frightening is in the slaughter place, both in colonialism of Dutch and of Japan, said Soeranto, a citizen who had lived for years near it before it was restored. He said that underground prison and torture room are two place that still become mystery for many visitors. There is a standing jail located underground. Reputedly, that underground jail was a place where a lot of prisoners were put into and jostled until they passed away.

Written by Stefanus Reinald S.

Sources :

·         https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawang_Sewu

·         http://nasional.news.viva.co.id/news/read/590901-cerita-horor-seribu-pintu-lawang-sewu