THE SOCIO-SPATIAL IMPACT OF MOROKREMBANGAN NAVAL AIR BASE IN COLONIAL SURABAYA, 1920s-1940s
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33652/handep.v8i2.749Keywords:
Morokrembangan, navy , airfield, social effects, spatial effectsAbstract
This historical study investigates the often-overlooked socio-spatial impacts of the Morokrembangan naval air base in Surabaya during its early years from the 1920s to the 1940s. This study integrates three historical methods, including naval, social, and spatial historical approaches. It interprets primary and secondary sources, particularly archivaldocuments, newspaper articles. It highlights the effects of the airbase on the social life and spatial conditions of the surrounding community. The findings reveal that Morokrembangan significantly constructed a sense of emptiness by enforcing exclusivity on the surrounding land and waters. On land, this invention of empty space led to criminal activities. Meanwhile, this restricted the activities of the local fishing community in the waters, as they were
displaced during the construction of the airbase. The case of Morokrembangan illustrates that the concept of perceived emptiness, which was considered ideal for a military base, was a construct supported by political superiority and colonialism.
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