Ahnen, Helden, Revolutionäre. Symbole der Macht und Erinnerungsarbeit im modernen Indonesien

Abstract

Nation states need a constant re-affirmation of their ideological foundations by invocating important historical events and persons. Since the independence of the Indonesian nation-state its governments have worked out an intricate set of holidays and rituals around the dead and the fallen as symbols of the anti-colonial struggle. They created and maintained a common consciousness of being a nation among Indonesian citizens. Over the years the public veneration of dead persons became an important feature of Indonesian political culture during the periods of Sukarno’s Guided Democracy and Suharto’s New Order. The paper first analyses the spatial dimension of veneration of the dead, i.e. the many hero cemeteries and monuments. It goes on to interpret the ceremonial activities carried out on the respective holidays. By recurring to concepts such as “ancestor veneration” and “secondary burial” the paper investigates the cultural and historical background of the present form of veneration of the dead and its mode of functioning. Two case studies focusing on the monuments of Lubang Buaya and Kalibata and the rituals pertaining to them explain the structure of historical commemorations and their usage in contemporary Indonesia. The analysis culminates in the main thesis that the public veneration of important dead, be they ancestors, heroes, or revolutionary fighters, creates “national ancestors”. These ancestors are functional in shaping the ideologically desired historical consciousness of a national Indonesian past.