Cultural Script:
Rajapatni.com: SURABAYA – This is the first time there is a Sketch and Painting Competition for teenagers with scholarship prizes. Not just sketch art but also contains historical value of the nation. That is what made the University of August 17, 1945 (Untag) Surabaya interested in providing scholarships for two winners of the Sketch and Painting Competition. Through the scholarship, Untag provides a channel for further development in the educational path at the National Campus.
This is the message conveyed by Jesu Subekti SH. MM., Chairman of the 17 August 1945 Education Foundation (YPTA) in his office on Wednesday (30/4/25). The Sketch and Painting Competition, themed “Koblen Wall”, was held by Puri Aksara Rajapatni in collaboration with PT. Menara Property Development as the manager of the former Koblen Prison and the 17 August 1945 University of Surabaya, supported by the East Java Archipelago Arts and Culture Committee (KSBN), Sketsa Indonesia and the Indonesian Painters Association (IPI).
Get to Know the History of the City
This competition aims to invite the public, especially high school students and equivalent, to get to know and understand the history behind the wall made of stone.
That the stone walls of Bubutan prison, in addition to containing historical value of struggle, the Bubutan Prison building is also a manifestation of the development of the City of Surabaya and architecture in the early 20th century. Because it contains historical value of nationality and city development, the former Koblen Prison attracted the attention of Untag Surabaya. Untag Surabaya is a national campus, which has architectural and civil studies.
Meanwhile, the manager of the former Koblen Prison, I Wayan Arcana on behalf of PT. Menara Property Development (MPD) supports the competition, which contains the spirit of learning historical values.
Wayan as the manager of PT Menara Property Development, which is developing an empty land inside the prison wall area, wants there to be a historical attraction based on the remaining prison structures that still exist. Namely the prison walls.
Collecting Historical Data of Koblen Prison
Therefore, Wayan has started collecting data related to the history of Koblen. For example, when two guests from the Netherlands arrived a few days ago, it was revealed that the name Koblen is thought to have come from the Dutch word Kobbelsteen, which means stone.
So Kobbelsteen Gevanggenis is Stone Prison. That was the nickname for Bubutan Prison at that time. Gradually, Stone Prison (Kobbelsteen) was more popular than the term Bubutan Prison. So Koblen Prison was born.
“We just found out that the name Koblen comes from Kobbelsteen,” said Wayan.
Not only that, the atmosphere in the prison, which at that time was used as an Internment Camp, can also finally be known. Namely through the Dutch archive het geheugen. delpher.nl
These archives will later decorate the Koblen Prison historical site.
Through sketch and painting competitions, participants can learn about the former Koblen Prison in the past, present and future.
Meanwhile, Ir. RA Retno Hastijanti MA, Vice Rector II of Untag who is also the Head of the Cultural Heritage Expert Team (TACB) of Surabaya City, welcomed the educational activities through the Sketch and Painting Competition, themed “Koblen Wall”.
Javanese Script in Art Frame
Meanwhile, Puri Aksara Rajapatni, which is active in the field of Javanese script literacy, also tries to introduce Javanese script by writing the word “Koblen” in Javanese script in sketch and painting frames.
The writing of Koblen in Javanese script is represented by decorative images that are in accordance with the content of the story, sketches and paintings.
The Supervisor of Puri Aksara Rajapatni, A. Hermas Thony said that through this competition, students are invited to learn about the tradition of writing Javanese script.
“Javanese script must be written or in a picture or painting its name is scratched, if it is spoken its name is language,” concluded Thony. (PAR/nng)