Bireuën

Bireuën was the hoofdplaats of the onderafdeeling Bireuën of the Afdeeling Noordkust van Atjeh, the principal settlement of the vlakte of the Kr. Peusangan, and the critical junction at which the great Gajo-weg left the coast to climb toward the Laoet Tawar and the Gajoland beyond. De Buitenbezittingen treats Bireuën as the northern terminus of the road system that opened the Gajo-lands: “De aanleg van deze eenige verbindingsschakel tusschen de vruchtbare hoogvlakten en de Noordkust vond in den beginne veel bestrijders” — the construction of this single connecting link between the fertile high plains and the Noordkust met with much initial opposition.

The Peusangan plain

The vlakte of Bireuën, “eertijds eene bloeiende landbouwstreek” (formerly a flourishing agricultural region), is watered by the right delta-arm of the Kr. Peusangan — the Kr. Blang Mé or Kr. Tingkeum — whose repeated floods, fed by the sand carried down from the Eastern Barisan hellingen, had by the late nineteenth century turned the eastern half of the plain into “eene troostelooze woestenij.” The Dutch responded with the indijking of the Kr. Blang Mé and the afdamming of the Kr. Pandjoeë, the left delta-arm, protecting the rich western oevervlakte of Bireuën from the same fate. After the works, “is men onmiddellijk met gunstig volg overgegaan tot eene ontginning der verlaten streek.” The plain is one of the four “meest belangrijke” of the Noordkust, with the Pidië-vlakte, the Samalanga-vlakte, and the Keureutoë-vlakte of the Pasé-streek.

Administrative division

The onderafdeeling Bireuën comprised three oelèëbalangschappen: Gloempang Doewa, Peusangan, and Samalanga. Peusangan, itself formed by conquest from three formerly independent lands — eigentlich Peusangan, Djeumpah and Lheuëboe — was governed directly by its oelèëbalang after the elimination of the two subordinate hoofden and the abolition of the former oelèëbalang-tjoet layer of fifteen intermediaries. Samalanga, originally a colony of peperplanters from Pedir and Meureudoe, had been divided by its oelèëbalang into seven keudjeuroeënschappen; of these only two survived, the rest being brought under direct rule, and Samalanga was further subdivided into eigentlich Samalanga, Peudada, Plimbang, and the II Moekims Toedóng.

The Gajo-weg and the Atjeh-tram

The bivak at Bireuën was the starting-point of the Gajo-weg, the military trace driven across the gebergte to the bestuursvestiging of Takengön on the Laoet Tawar — “met groote moeite en kosten dwars over het gebergte tot stand gebracht.” Originally laid as a colonne-weg for the weeks-long transporten of the Gajo-lands bezetting, the road was by 1917 “geheel voltooid en in den drogen tijd reeds voor autoverkeer geschikt,” opening the Pegasèng-, Ketèl- and DörUbekken to commerce. The Atjeh-tram station at Bireuën — depicted in Plaat 5 of the source — connected the town with Koeta Radja to the north-west and Koeala Simpang to the south-east. The onderafdeeling counted 20,337 registered adult Atjehers at end 1915.

Account from De Buitenbezittingen (1917) — Bireuen

The Encyclopaedisch Bureau’s account of the Sumatra road plan lists Bireuen as the northern terminus of the Gajo-weg (project no. 14 in the Bureau’s numbered list of fifteen Sumatra road projects): “Gajo-weg from Bireuen to Takengon. Length 76 K.M.; cost f 1,496,000. For the connection of the Gajo lands with the North coast. Completed.” The road was one of the principal infrastructural projects of the 1904–1914 decade in the Atjeh and Dependencies residency, opening the interior Gajo lands — previously accessible only with difficulty — to direct road communication with the northern coast of Atjeh. Of the fifteen Sumatra road projects listed, the Gajo-weg from Bireuen to Takengon was one of only a handful listed as “completed” by the end of the decade.

Account from Atjèh and the War with Japan (1949) — Bireuën

Bireuën is the subdistrict headquarters-town and subdistrict of the Noordkust of Atjèh, “with its more than 100,000 inhabitants the most populous after Sigli of Atjèh,” the subdistrict where the Poesa — the All-Aceh Union of Ulemas — was founded in 1939 under the high patronage of Teukoe Hadji Tjhi’ Moehamad Djohan Alam Sjah of Peusangan, and the strategic junction on the Gajóweg between the coastal plain and the Takéngón highlands. Piekaar’s Atjèh and the War with Japan treats Bireuën as the political and educational centre of the Poesa movement, and as the point through which the retreating Dutch troops and the civilian evacuation transports from Koetaradja passed on their way to Takéngón in March 1942.

The subdistrict and its self-governing territories

The subdistrict Bireuën “contained only three landschappen. Of these three, Peusangan, in which the subdistrict headquarters Bireuën is located, counted almost 50,000 inhabitants, the one Meureudoe bordering Samalanga had over 40,000 and the smaller coastal Gloempang Doea 11,500 souls.” In this subdivision “the equally influential as loyal Teukoe Hadji Tjhi’ Moehamad Djohan Alam Sjah of Peusangan had left his mark,” so that “the 5th column action had little chance.” Beside him were “the somewhat sickly Teukoe Tjhi’ Moehamad of Samalanga and the elderly, loyal Teukoe Béntara Istia Moeda Peureudan of Gloempang Doea (confirmed in 1903).” Economically Bireuën “was in all respects a favorable position. The very extensive sawah area, the export of e.g. pinang and second crops made a relatively high level of prosperity possible, while moreover numerous irrigation works were in execution.”

The birth of the Poesa

The Poesa or Persatoean Oelama-Oelama Seleroeh Atjèh “was founded in 1939 in Bireuën under the high patronage of Teukoe Hadji Tjhi’ Moehamad Djohan Alam Sjah, self-governing authority of Peusangan.” The movement’s first expression was “the Pergoeroean Normal Islam (Normal Islam School), established in Bireuën, a secondary religious school that took charge of the training of religious teachers according to the principles of the association. Besides purely religious subjects, history, geography, economics, etc. were also taught at this institution.” As main teachers served Teungkoe Isma’el Jacoeb, Teungkoe Hadji Aboe Bakar “an oelama from Bireuën,” and Teungkoe Moehamad Noer, son-in-law of Teungkoe Moehamad Daoed Beureu-éh. The school became the educational nucleus from which the Poesa expanded across the residency.

The war months and the Japanese occupation

In the war months Bireuën became the funnel of retreat. The third major evacuation transport, which departed from Koetaradja in the afternoon of 11 March 1942, “stranded at Bireuën in connection with the Japanese landing at Koeala Boega’.” The train that on 12 March brought the last soldiers’ wives and children and European citizens from Koetaradja was also stranded at Bireuën, since “all transport means were in use for transporting military supplies” and only a small part could proceed to Takéngón. On the afternoon of 13 March 1942 “the last Dutch troops left Bireuën to retreat in the direction of Takéngón.” On 14 March “before dawn, the first Japanese troops marched through Bireuën, after which the definitive occupation followed.” After the occupation, the European internees — about a hundred men, women and children — were “first in the prison, later in the girls’ continuation school located opposite the prison.” Bireuën was “the only place in Atjèh where the rape of European women by the invading Japanese troops … is reported,” and in the first week of occupation seven Indonesian soldiers were shot dead by a Japanese officer as “rampokkers.”

The Heinzenknecht bust and the Gajoweg

Bireuën is a town in Aceh at the head of the Gajoweg — the southern terminus of the military road that runs 103 km south to Takengeun on Laut Tawar (Lake Tawar) in the Gajolanden (Gayo Lands). In Oost-Indisch Journael by Merac (1947), Bireuën is the place where the Gajoweg begins — at the bronze bust of Heinzenknecht on the yard of the controller — and the place from which the lieutenant’s journey through Aceh departs.

The Gajoweg begins at the bronze bust of Heinzenknecht on the yard of the controller at Bireuën. The bust is the book’s — and the Gajoweg’s — marker of the cost of the road’s construction: Heinzenknecht, the brave Bavarian who laid the road under Van Heutsz, was basely murdered by a convict labourer during that work. The bronze bust at Bireuën is therefore both the beginning of the Gajoweg and a memorial to its builder.

The bronze bust stands on the yard of the controller at Bireuën — the yard of the Dutch civil administrator at Bireuën. The controller’s yard is the book’s marker of the colonial administrative presence at Bireuën: the town was a controller’s post, the lowest level of the Dutch civil administration in the Outer Territories. The bronze bust of Heinzenknecht on the controller’s yard is therefore the book’s marker of the colonial administration’s presence at the head of the Gajoweg.

Bireuën is the departure point of the lieutenant’s journey through Aceh — the journey that the lieutenant describes in the chapter Jagerslatijn. The journey follows the Gajoweg from Bireuën south: at km 11 the bridge over the Peusangan River, at km 36 the administrative border of the Gayo Lands, at km 46 the halting-place Blang Rakal, and finally at km 103 Takengeun on Laut Tawar. Bireuën is significant in Oost-Indisch Journael as the town at the head of the Gajoweg and the departure point of the lieutenant’s journey through Aceh. The book’s argument — that the Gajoweg begins at the bronze bust of Heinzenknecht on the controller’s yard at Bireuën — is the book’s marker of the cost of the colonial army’s road-building in Aceh. Bireuën is therefore the book’s frame for the Gajoweg: the town from which the road begins, and the place where the bronze bust of the murdered road-builder stands.

Account from Verkenningen in Atjeh (1923)

Bireuen — pronounced Birun — is the chief place (hoofdplaats) of the onderafdeeling Bireuen of the afdeeling Noordkust van Atjeh, situated on the Atjeh-tram line at the southern foot of the Gajo-weg, and the natural emporium of the trade of the landschap of Peusangan and of the Gajo interior beyond. Broersma describes it as ‘geen vriendelijker plaatsje in Oostelijk Atjeh dan Bireuen; zelfs Idi moet er de vlag voor strijken’ — no friendlier place in Eastern Atjeh than Bireuen; even Idi must lower the flag to it.

The Layout

A great rectangle: one side is formed by the station with its yard; opposite, on the long side, lie the houses of the controleur, of the officers, and the pasanggrahan, the finest in all Atjeh. Between those two sides lies a lawn with fairly high trees. Behind the officers’ houses is the bivouac. The market-streets lie on the other side of the tram-line. Everything is neat and fresh — ‘een rustig plaatsje waar intusschen wel eenig vertier is’ — *a quiet place where nevertheless there is some trade. A harbour Bireuen is not; all transport takes place by the Atjeh-tram, and the activity that is in the market-neighbourhood owes it partly to the fact that Bireuen is an end-point of the Gajo-weg: what comes from the Gajo-lands to the eastern coast comes to Bireuen.

The Landschap

The onderafdeeling Bireuen comprises, besides the landschap Peusangan, also the landschappen Gloempang Doewa and Samalanga. Peusangan is also the name of the river which comes out of the Laut Tawar lake in Gajo-land and carries great water-wealth to the coast, and in the landschap Peusangan lies the chief place of the onderafdeeling, the like-named Bireuen. The oeléebalang of Peusangan is Mohamad Djohan Alamsjah, teukoe tjhi Peusangan, who lives at Matang Gloempang Doea in an attractive but un-Atjehnese house amid a well-planted garden on the road and the tram, and finds support in his brothers, who like him received a good education and all speak Dutch. One of them, Teukoe Boestaman, was trained at the cultuurschool at Soekaboemi and now holds the office of landbouwkundige; another, Mohamad Ali Alamsjah, is oeléebalang tjoet of Djeumpa.

Significance

Bireuen is the type-figure of the well-kept colonial hoofdplaats of the eastern coast — neat, fresh, quiet, but with a real trade, owing to its position at the foot of the Gajo-weg. Its pasanggrahan is the finest in Atjeh, and its market is the natural outlet of the Gajo interior.

Account in du Croo’s Generaal Swart (1943)

After respect for the Kompeuni had been restored under Watrin, the protected population turned against the bands: 20 December 1909 brought the end for Pang Aron and 24 December for Tgk. di Atjèh Ma’ Amin, overpowered while foraging in gampong Blang. 1910 was the last “verzetsjaar”: sixty-two opponents killed, thirty-one prisoners and 161 submissions, though five gampong dwellers were still murdered and seven wounded and attacks were made on the Gajòweg then under construction. Swart could report that the valleys of the Beuratjan, the Panté Radja and the Mampréë could be occupied to three hours’ walk into the mountains, some four hundred registered persons settling there with their families and moving about unarmed without molestation. In February 1913 the head of the Lampehan-bendetje reported himself “and Bireuën too was clean”. In July 1913 two Acehnese ran amok at the station, killing two non-commissioned officers. In October 1911 Swart inspected Bireuën and reached Kr. Seumpo for the first time by motorcar along the Gajòweg. A photograph shows Swart before the pasanggrahan at Bireuen in 1910.

Account from Atjeh als land voor handel en bedrijf (1925)

Bireuen (Birun) was hoofdplaats of underafdeeling Bireuen of afdeeling Noordkust van Atjeh and pleasantest place in eastern Atjeh per Broersma.

Description

Large rectangle: one side formed station with emplacement, opposite long side dwellings controller, officers and pasanggrahan, most beautiful whole Atjeh. Between both sides grass field fairly high trees. Behind dwellings officers bivouac. Market streets other side tram line. All neat fresh quiet place though some bustle. Not port all transport with Atjeh-tram and bustle market partly fact endpoint Gajo-weg: what from Gajo-landen to east coast goes comes at Bireuen.

Landscape Peusangan

Peusangan large landscape >32,000 souls. Oeléëbalang Mohamed Djohan Alamsjah etc. About third ground irrigable i.e., from swamp and some wadoeks. Attempted irrigation from Peusangan at Panté Lhong costs 3 tons fruitless.

Landscape its real sawahs own construction tegal fields higher terrains also ladangs. Peusangan pepper pinang less important than elsewhere here besides padi also djagong oebi katjang tanah little sugarcane tobacco. Indigenous agriculture here resembles Java.

Padiculture accounting and second crops described.

Record busy agriculture seen use credit biggest part capital Volkscredietbank Lho Seumawe finds in underafdeeling Bireuen placement amount sometimes 3 ton. In Peusangan about 10 gampongbankjes capitals 300-600 gulden reserves 100-300, properly looked management.

European agricultural industry until recently in Peusangan northernmost representation: land Beuridi similarly company bore short life rubber klappers sereh 1921 abandoned that listless time could be bought for few thousand guilders.

Peusangan still some weaving but overall population wears imported kains For weaving silk mostly imported however few gampongs maintain mulberry trees silkworms. Artistic plaiting mats figures colored silk women also work waalers frame part palm leaf (palm called teuē) in inner part with velvet gold decorated.

Since government salt monopoly not extend over Atjeh could develop population salt winning to extent import salt small. Salt winning everywhere but north and east coast north of Idi much more practiced south of that place. Coastal Peusangan wins fairly much salt. Process open terrains near tidal forest loosening ground bit sea water flood throws loose ground into pit 3 dM depth additional sea water poured filtering then collection basin approx 80 cm that water carried nearby dwellings poured big container cooked portions pots till salt remains cooking 10-12 hours needs much firewood. Advantage distance raking and obtaining picol fairly white salt 3 days picol sold Peusangan f 3.30 wood delivery quantity f 1.25 so for 3 days about 2 gulden left meaning normal daily wage etc. Workers alone or kongsie heavy labour not demanding women take part.

Residential areas sea whole east coast Sumatra shabby, seems fishery work tidal forests salt winning must pair sloppiness dilapidation dwelling circumstance health harm.

Atjeh area where still elephants Peureula, Lho Soekon, Peusangan and probably elsewhere Atjeher or team hunts elephants for costly tusk formerly many gampong smaller larger community had pawang expert boss hunt as still fishery has pawang as group leader expert thereby preponderance leadership etc. Price tusks: usual buy pair; pair large tusks weighs approx 1 picol smaller calculated katties weight heard prices Peureula 500-600 gulden picol thus pair large tusks Idi 600 Peusangan 480-500. In Pidie elephants still service military transport goods less fast safer than rental autos.

Account from Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu

Attractive controleursplaatsje ‘along the line’ (Atjeh-tram). In one of the very important landschappen of the Noordkust afdeeling. Has swimming pool behind controleurswoning, pasanggrahan, Saturday pasar (also vee-pasar). Site of kapitein Heinzenknecht bust by Toon Dupuis. Start of the Gajoweg. On the flight path of Van Aken’s flight from Idi via Bireuën to Sabang (6 Oct 1934Border point atK.M. 36 of the Gajoweg (border Bireuën-Takengon). Has a vliegveld (airfield) opened October 1934 but no second plane had landed there since. Also has a NIGM central. More attractive than Lho’SoekonRegion on thenorth coastof Aceh; tertiair heuvelland extends to the coast up to this point.Onderafdeeling on Noordkust; kapokcentre; salt production; KPM connection via Atjeh Staatsspoor.afdeeling Noordkust van Atjeh; site of an excellent landing field (vliegveld) built in heerendienst by the bevolking of Peusangan. On the hoofdweg Koeta Radja-Medan; junction for the autoweg to Takengon.

Source: J. Jongejans, Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 25, 45, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 85, 86, 188, 287, 295, 329, 331.

Source

De Buitenbezittingen 1904 tot 1914, Deel I, bewerkt door het Encyclopaedisch Bureau, Mededeelingen van het Bureau voor de Bestuurszaken der Buitenbezittingen, Aflevering X (Weltevreden: Landsdrukkerij, 1917), pp. 53–56 (section “De aanleg van wegen op de Buitenbezittingen”). De Buitenbezittingen, Deel II, Aflevering 2: Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, bewerkt door het Encyclopaedisch Bureau, Mededeelingen van het Bureau voor de Bestuurszaken der Buitenbezittingen (Weltevreden: Landsdrukkerij, 1917), pp. 13–14, 21–22, 38, 65–67, 126. Atjèh and the War with Japan, by Dr. A. J. Piekaar, translated from the Dutch original Atjèh en de oorlog met Japan (1949) (‘s-Gravenhage/Bandung: N.V. Uitgeverij W. van Hoeve; English edition), Chapter I § 3, Chapter II, Chapter IV, Chapter V § 2. Oost-Indisch Journael: Palaver om de tafel met het gat, by Merac, Toekan-Serie no. 2, ed. G. L. Tichelman (Haarlem: De Gulden Pers, 1947), chapter Jagerslatijn. Verkenningen in Atjeh, by Dr. R. Broersma (De Locomotief, October 1923), chapter X, ‘In het land van Peusangan’, pp. 66–70. Generaal Swart, Pacificator van Atjeh (“General Swart, Pacifier of Atjeh”), by M. H. du Croo, Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with the collaboration of H. J. Schmidt, Titular Colonel K.N.I.L. (retired), with a foreword by His Excellency Lieutenant-General K.N.I.L. (retired) G. K. Dijkstra (Maastricht: N.V. Leiter-Nypels, 1943), Chapter XI, XII. Atjeh als land voor handel en bedrijf, by Dr. R. Broersma, Gebrs. Cohen, Utrecht, 1925, pp. 59-64.

Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu, by J. Jongejans, Oud-Resident van het Gewest Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, with a foreword by Dr. H. Colijn (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 25, 45, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 85, 86, 188, 287, 295, 329, 331.

tags	place, hoofdplaats, noordkust, achehnese, town, aceh, colonial, underafdeeling, noordkust-van-atjeh, peusangan, gajo-weg, atjeh-tram, pasars, landschap, resistance, administrative, atjeh, gayo-gateway
aliases	Bireun, town, aceh, colonial, Birun, Bireuen hoofdplaats, Bireuen onderafdeeling, Bireuen Atjeh, Peusangan hoofdplaats, Bireuën

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