Stories from Medan, Volume 1

History, Society and Business
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-981-957706-4
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 505 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 764 g

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of Medan's development, blending rigorous research with narrative flair to recreate the historical ambience of the city and its people. Divided into three sections, the book delves into the evolution of Medan and its strategic role in the plantation economy, examines the lives and contributions of its prominent Chinese community, and follows the rise and fall of European and Chinese enterprises.

The book draws upon multiple historical archives from the Netherlands, Indonesia, Singapore, China, Switzerland, and many more, combined with images and interviews. Together, these resources provide a compelling backdrop to the narratives of influential figures and also everyday people. By situating local developments within the broader context of global events—such as economic and political shifts in Asia—the book provides a thorough understanding of Medan’s role as a truly cosmopolitan city in the Dutch Indies. The book is designed to invite readers into a unique past, using language and place names of the era to enhance authenticity.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Minasny, Budiman

Buiskool, Dirk Aedsge

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Asiatische Geschichte
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftsgeschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Part 1: History & Society.- Chapter 1: Medan, A Plantation City on the East Coast of Sumatra.- Chapter 2: Swiss Planters in Deli.- Chapter 3: Germans and French Planters and Entrepreneurs on Sumatra's East Coast.- Chapter 4: The Influence and Dynamics of Japanese in Medan.- Chapter 5: The Indian Communities' Journey in Deli.- Chapter 6: How the Suez Canal Facilitated the Colonial Extractive Economy.- Chapter 7: De Witte Sociëteit and the White Society of Medan.- Chapter 8: The Evolving Kesawan.- Chapter 9: Hobbit House to Kota China: The Archaeological Rediscovery of North Sumatra’s Deep Past.- Part 2: In the Chinese Quarter.- Chapter 10: Chinese Officers of Medan.- Chapter 11: Chinese Temples for Solidarity.- Chapter 12: Tjong Yong Hian Building the Swatow-Chaozhou Railway.- Chapter 13: Law Ah Yok, the Father of Medan’s Chinatown.- Chapter 14: Rickshaws in Medan.- Chapter 15: Streets of Commerce and Memory.- Chapter 16: The Centrale Pasar and Pasar Malam of Medan.- Part 3: Colonial Business and Trade.- Chapter 17: Early Entrepreneurs and Merchants of Medan590F636F.- Chapter 18: The Rise and Fall of the Hüttenbach Family of Deli.- Chapter 19: The Legend of Medan’s Warenhuis.- Chapter 20: From Tobacco to Oil: Aeilko Jans Zijlker and the Birth of Royal Dutch Shell.- Chapter 21: The Making of the Deli Press.- Chapter 22: Kehding, Haas, and the Making of a Colonial Enterprise in East Sumatra.- Chapter 23: Seng Hap and the Chinese Entrepreneurs.- Chapter 14: Kamerlingh Onnes Family Journey: From Tobacco Plantations to Nobel Prize.- Chapter 25: Colonial Businesses in Medan.

Über Autor(innen)

Budiman Minasny is Professor of Soil Science at the University of Sydney and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. Originally from Medan, he has published on the region’s history alongside his internationally recognised work in soil mapping and modelling. He is also a member of the China Studies Centre at Sydney University.

Dirk Aedsge Buiskool  is a historian. He was lecturing in history at the Groningen Volksuniversiteit and the University of North Sumatra. In Medan he co-founded Tri Jaya Tour & Travel and Hotel Deli River. Dirk contributed to different historical journals and books and published the award-winning book . In 2019, he received his PhD from Utrecht University with the thesis "Prominent Chinese During the Rise of a Colonial City: Medan 1890-1942."