“… Pieter Elberfeld, jy het probeer,
Jy het verloor, en het jou skuld betaal;
Geeneen, nòg patriot nòg ploert, kan meer
Dan ná verlies die donker in te dwaal!”
C. Louis Leipoldt (1880-1947)
14 April 1722
Pieter Erberveld / Erbervelt / Elberveld (c. 1660-14 April 1722) – dies
Eurasian resident of Batavia, Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta), VOC headquarters in Asia during 17th and early 18th centuries accused of plotting (1 January 1722) a rebellion with Javanese but captured and executed and a monument erected where his house stood.
Son of a German (Westphalian) father, a tanner of hides, and Siamese [Thai] Christian mother.
Born (c. 1660) in Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya.
When father moves family to Batavia, he has them all baptized (November 1671).
Among the more wealthy residents of Batavia although not a VOC employee has a dispute with VOC authorities about his inheritance which likely influences later events.
Accused (1721), of plotting a rebellion with Javanese and arrested at his residence with some of the agitators, tortured and executed.
Monument erected on site of his residence features a concrete or plaster skull on a spike (rumoured to be real) and carrying a plaque stating that no one should ever build or plant on this site again.
Monument remains on Jacatraweg until Japanese demolish it (early 1942) in efforts to wipe out monuments to Dutch colonial rule, but even Japanese visitors regularly visit monument in prewar years.
Monument is rebuilt before being moved again to Taman Prasasti Museum in Tanah Abang.
Locally relatively well known and sometimes referred to as Pangeran Pecah Kulit (`broken skin prince`) either because of the means of his death (drawing and quartering) or more likely from local area’s nickname, derived from presence of a tannery in area.
Numerous legends circulate in Indonesian society (since at least 1888) and have also been featured in a novel (1924) by Tio Ie Soei, a TV drama (1980s) & a poem by C. Louis Leipoldt:
‘Hier sal geen mens’.
Hier sal geen mens òf plant òf saai òf oes,
Hier sal geen mens òf bid òf aalmoes soek;
Bly dit vir altyd aaklig en verwoes,
‘n Vlek op aarde, want dit is vervloek!
Daardie gekalkte skedel was van hom
Wat eenmaal eervol man was in sy land,
Fortuin se gunsteling, bemind alom,
‘n Milde patriot met ope hand.
En dit is alles wat daar oorbly nou –
Die witgekalkte doodskop op die hoek;
Die grafklip hier, die boom daarginds wat rou;
En op die grafklip is gegrif die vloek.
Die grou gragwater spieël die hemel af
Die apies klouter in die takke rond;
‘n Keffertjie staan onderaan en blaf;
Die skedel gooi ‘n skadu op die grond.
Nee, hier sal geen mens plant of saai of oes,
En niemand sal hier skuil of uitkoms soek;
Vir altyd dood, verlate en verwoes,
Bly dit ‘n skandvlek, want dit is vervloek.
[…]
Pieter Elberfeld, jy het probeer,
Jy het verloor, en het jou skuld betaal;
Geeneen, nòg patriot nòg ploert, kan meer
Dan ná verlies die donker in te dwaal!
– C. Louis Leipoldt, in Geseënde skaduwees , oorspronklik in die Nuwejaarsnommer vir 1924 van Die Burger, [J.C. Kannemeyer, “Leipoldt -‘n Lewensverhaal”]
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