Ruang dan Aktivitas Pelesiran Ala Eropa: Pembentukan Komunitas Urban di Kota Malang 1914-1942

Abstract

The autonomous status of Malang City, established at the beginning of the twentieth century, brought significant changes to urban space and community life. These spatial changes are evident in the emergence of leisure spaces designed to accommodate a European lifestyle. The development of various forms of entertainment, supported by related facilities, represented an effort to serve the needs of the elite classes who migrated to Malang in large numbers. As a result, entertainment venues and leisure spaces fostered new forms of European-style leisure activities.This paper examines the formation of leisure spaces as representations of social class in Malang City, the relationship between leisure spaces and European communities, and the transformation of urban society in connection with leisure practices. The study employs historical methods and relies on primary sources drawn from contemporary newspapers. Publications such as Indische Courant, Java Bode, De Locomotief, and Soerabaijasch Handelsblad functioned not only as historical records but also as media for promoting leisure spaces. Using leisure class theory, this study analyzes the socio-cultural practices that took place within leisure spaces and contributed to the shaping of urban areas during the Dutch East Indies period. Dutch colonial power, as reflected in leisure and entertainment spaces, underwent significant changes following the collapse of colonial rule and its replacement by Japanese occupation. Nevertheless, Dutch colonial influence continued to shape the character of Malang. The social and urban transformations that occurred in the city reflected the growth of consumerism and entertainment culture. Ultimately, the emergence of entertainment venues in Malang became a symbol of colonialism, marked by distinctive patterns of inclusivity and exclusivity.