Free tour

Bittersweet Walk to Dutch Colonial Heritage and Legacy in Lombok

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Utrecht

Duration: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Languages:

Guru: Tiarma

Registered on 03 January 2024

Hello everyone, my name is Tiarma. I am a storyteller, theatre performer, and a humanitarian worker. I was born and raised in a small town in North Sumatra, Indonesia. I speak English, Indonesian, and currently learning Dutch. I enjoy sharing and exchanging inspiring life stories and experiences, as well as engaging in thought-provoking discussions on topics that are matter to me: histories, cultures, traditions, colonization, slavery, inclusion, diversity, and global challenges. I love doing it whether it's on stage through my storytelling and theatre performance, over a drink or dinner, or while travelling around and enjoying the beautiful landscape. I am always eager to connect. If you share the same passion, come and join me on a journey through the historical landscape of the Lombok neighborhood. Let’s walk, talk, and connect.

Free booking and cancellation

Pay-what-you-wish tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

Lombok is a very diverse, and multicultural neighbourhood. it was built between 1886 and 1920. The name of 'Lombok' is taken from the Lombok island in Indonesia. In Javanesse Lombok means chilli pepper. Lombok is located in the centre of Utrecht, a five-minute walk from Utrecht Centraal Station.

There was an era called the Dutch Golden Age, from 1588 to 1672. During this era, the Netherlands reached significant achievements in trade, making the Netherlands become a leading economic and superpower country, thanks to the succesful of colonialisation in East Indies, the modern-day of Indonesia.

This walk is the adaptation of the self-guided bittersweet route (bitterzoeteroute) of De Grauwe Eeuw, an organization that against the glorification and romanticizing the Dutch colonial past through landmarks and colonial street names. The aim of this walk is to shed a different light on the Dutch colonial legacy and heritage.

For two and a half hours, I will take you on a journey to 7 stops symbolize different times and places around Lombok that connected to Dutch colonial history in Indonesia, my home country.

as we walk through Lombok, we will visit different places, and i will share historical, personal experiences and stories behind every stop and the connection to Dutch colonial history, its impact on Utrecht, and why it still matters today. The idea of the walk to give complete view of Dutch history, especially parts that are often ignored and forgotten.

I will take you the meet Jan Pieterscoen, the Governor General of VOC that responsible to genoside 20,000 indegenious Bandanesse in Maluku, the modern-day Indonesia.

Get ready for a storytelling guided walking tour that engage dialogue, new perspective, that will take us return to our shared humanity.

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

Molenpark , İngang, Floresstraat 3, 3531 ET Utrecht, Netherlands

Molen de Ster (Windmill the Star) is a 10-minute walk from Utrecht Centraal Station. Take the Beatrix Theatre/ Jaarbeursplein exit. Walk towards Westplein. Cross the street. Pass the bridge. Turn left onto Timorpad. Walk along the water on the cycle path. You will already be able to see the windmill. Our meeting point will be the grass area next to the cafe. I will be standing there waiting for you with a sign that says "Bittersweet."

Outside visit

Molen de Ster

Molen de Ster is one of the few preserved windmills in the NL, it was built in 1739. The windmill is often regarded as a quintessential Dutch symbol and source of pride. On 15 May 2017, a group of activists and residents hosted a human rights café at Molen de Ster to discuss what should be done about Lombok's colonial street names. It was decided that, rather than campaign for their removal, a different light should be shed on them. This is the birth of bittersweet route.

Outside visit

Timorkade

Timorkade (Timor Quay) is taken from Timor island. This is an island in modern-day Indonesia. The western part of the island was colonized by the Dutch, while the eastern part was colonised by the Portuguese. Indonesia gained independence in 1945, while eastern Timor gained independence in 1975. 10 days after independence, Indonesian army invaded Timor Leste.

Outside visit

Ceramstraat

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours don't have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end the amount they consider appropriate (amounts usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).