Ursprung und Struktur von Wochenmärkten im Bergland des südwestlichen Sumatra

Abstract An extensive quantitative, qualitative, archival and literary research on markets was carried out during 1987-1990 by the Institut für Ethnologie, Bern in the district of Rejang-Lebong. Some of the main findings are as follows: The infrastructure built by the Dutch for the exploitation of goldmines and plantations has remained fundamentally unchanged and is, as in the rest of Sumatra, mainly export-oriented. Improvements of such a communication system do not stimulate a diversified system of regional urban centres but are conducive to centralization and monopolization of the economy. This is detrimental to local periodic markets which traditionally combine the functions of bulking, retail and wholesale. On the other hand, in the ever-expanding cash crops areas, new markets based on speculative business practices spring up. Since the villages are concentrated along the main roads, no periodic and hierarchic market-system has evolved as traders prefer to reside in the urban centres and visit markets according to personal schedules. On the other hand, the case of Java illustrates that the administration is pressing for the installment of such a market system.