Colonial Exhibition of Semarang

The Colonial Exhibition, Dutch: Koloniale Tentoonstelling, took place in Semarang, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in from August 13 through November 15, 1914. Colonial exhibitions were trade expositions. It was designed to "give a comprehensive picture of the Dutch Indies in their present prosperous condition."[1]

1914 Semarang
Exhibition poster
Overview
BIE-class	Unrecognized exposition
Name	Colonial Exhibition
Area	26 ha
Visitors	677,266
Participant(s)
Countries	20
Location
Country	Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia
City	Semarang
Coordinates	6°59′S 110°25′E
Timeline
Opening	August 13, 1914
Closure	November 15, 1914

The architect was Maclaine Pont.

Exhibits

There were displays including companies, foreign states and areas within the Dutch East Indies. One area of the grounds had pavilions dedicated to cocoa, coffee, kapok, and tea.[2]

Dutch East Indies

There was a Balinese, an Aceh pavilion central Java, and Semerang pavilions.

• 
  Central Java diorama

Foreign states

There were pavilions from Australia, China, Formosa (Taiwan) and Japan.

• 
  Chinese Pavilion
• 
  Formosa tea house
• 
  Japanese Pavilion

Companies

There were pavilions from several companies including German hardware manufacturing business Carl Schlieper, the Netherland Indies Gas Company (NIGM), Nestlé, and the Dutch shipping company Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (KPM).

• 
  Carl Schlieper pavilion
• 
  Trocadero pavilion (left), NIGM pavilion (center) and the Nestlé pavilion (right)
• 
  NIGM pavilion
• 
  Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM) pavilion

Legacy

The Aceh state pavilion was built in Acehnese style, without nails.[3]

After the exposition, it was dismounted and re-erected as the Aceh Museum, where it and the Cakra Donya Bell also displayed remain.

• 
  Aceh pavilion with Cakra bell during the exposition
• 
  Cakra Donya bell in 2005
• 
  Pavilion building at the Aceh museum in 2005

Gallery

• 
  Aerial view of the colonial exhibition of Semarang
• 
  Main Entrance
• 
  Umbrella manufacturing
• 
  Rail transport demonstration from Krupp
• 
  Stage
• 
  Visit of Governor General A.W.F. Idenburg to the exhibition
• 
  Trade pavilion
• 
  Bandstand Traffic Pavilion and the pavilion of F.J. Fuchs (a carriage supply and automobile distributor)
• 
  Fountain
• 
  Party room and terrace

References

1. "Calendar". The Independent. 13 Jul 1914. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
2. KOLONIAL-TENTOONSTELLING SEMARANG 1914 Plattegrond (Map) (in Dutch).
3. "Rumah Aceh | Banda Aceh, Indonesia Attractions - Lonely Planet". Retrieved 12 May 2020.

External links

• Colonial Exhibition of Semarang catalog University of Leiden Library
• Colonial Exhibition in Semarang 1914 Video including several contemporaneous photographs.