Paspor Wisata Depok Lama (Old Depok Tourism Passport) initiated by the Community Service Team (Pengmas) of the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering (FT), Universitas Indonesia (UI), in collaboration with the Cornelis Chastelein Foundation (YLCC) as the recipient partner and the Tenggara Foundation has been launched at the Depok City Government Office. This passport functions as a guide in developing tourist routes in Old Depok.
Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc, Ph.D., as the coordinator of this program and a professor of FTUI, admitted that this program could be implemented thanks to the pentahelix collaboration between government elements, the community, and Universitas Indonesia, especially the Directorate of Empowerment and Community Service UI as the funder. “This program is a sustainable preservation step that can maintain cultural heritage, drive the community economy, and at the same time disseminate the importance of Depok’s history through creative programs, so that the community can care more about their own city,” said Prof. Kemas.
He further said that in this passport there are two tourist routes that can be taken by visitors, namely nature tourism and colonial building tourism around Jalan Pemuda. This tourist map also has a barcode that is connected to a booklet and an animated video that explains the history of the building in more detail. In addition, this passport also provides recommendations for local cafes that can be visited during a walking tour, as well as asking for a stamp in the passport as a sign that you have visited Old Depok.
He explained that Depok is a city with a long history that can be traced back hundreds of years. Starting from a former VOC official named Cornelis Chastelein who bought thousands of hectares of land south of Batavia in 1696, he employed 150 native workers to manage the farm and settle there. Different from the practice of slavery that was common among Europeans at that time, Chastelein provided education and a decent life for his workers.
Before he died, Chastelein made a will that his workers be freed and given an inheritance in the form of land. The values that Cornelis Chastelein had taught were passed down from generation to generation by the Kaum Depok community (or by local residents called Belanda Depok) until now.
Despite its long history and many remaining buildings, the story of the origin of Depok is unfortunately not widely known by the public. This area has enormous potential to be developed as an old city full of educational historical tourism while encouraging sustainable development that prioritizes historical, cultural, and preservation principles.
“This is what drives the History, Theory, and Architecture Preservation Cluster of FTUI to create a community service program through the creation of tourism promotion media packaged in the form of the Old Depok Tourism Passport,” said Prof. Kemas.
The launch, which was held on Friday, November 15, was attended by 50 people. They consisted of various representatives from the Depok City Disporyata, the Cultural Heritage Expert Team, the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency, the Cornelis Chastelein Foundation, and students from three universities participating in the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) workshop from Universitas Indonesia, IPB University, and Universitas Trisakti.
“The Old Depok Tourism Passport is a means to strengthen the cultural identity of the city of Depok, not only as a historical heritage but also as an inspiration for future generations. By involving various parties, we want to ensure that the stories and values contained in Depok’s history can continue to live and become a source of pride for both the local community and the global community,” said Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU., Rector of UI.
