Great Post Road

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The Great Post Road (Jalan Raya Pos in Indonesian) is a road with a length of approximately 1,000 km across northern Java from Anyer to Panarukan. It was built during the reign of governor-general Herman Willem Daendels.

When Daendels set foot on Java he immediately decided to build a transport route across northern Java, in order to protect the island from a British attack. The road had a military objective, to allow for a fast displacement of troops.

Daendels obliged each indigenous ruler along the planned route to mobilise people to work on the road. Production targets were set. If the production targets were not achieved, the responsible indigenous ruler and his workers were killed. Their heads were hung in the trees along the road. Daendels showed no mercy. However, because of his iron rule, the road was completed in just one year (1808), which was an extraordinary achievement for that time. Therefore the name of Daendels is known even today.

Thousands of Javanese forced labourers died during the construction of the road. However, many current Indonesian historians see the construction of the road as an important step. Because of the Great Post Road it became possible to reach other parts of Java in days, instead of weeks.

[edit] Film

In 1996, the Dutch producer Pieter van Huystee produced the film De Groote Postweg (The Great Post Road). This film was shown in several cinemas in The Netherlands, Italy and France. The Indonesian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer did the narration for this film.