Government system of Surabaya City during the Dutch East Indies era
The Surabaya city government system was born out of complaints from Europeans about the chaotic and disorderly conditions in Dutch East Indies cities. In 1903, the Dutch East Indies government enacted the Decentralization Act (Decentralisatie Wet) to grant autonomy to regions, followed by technical regulations such as the Decentralization Decree (1905) and the Local Raden Ordinance.
Large cities, including Surabaya, were reclassified as municipalities (gemeente), which had their own governments but remained accountable to the central government. Gemeenten had the right to collect taxes and manage various businesses, as well as the obligation to maintain infrastructure and city cleanliness. Although initially lacking capital, the central government provided financial injections to assist the gemeenten, such as the Gemeente of Surabaya, which received ƒ 284,300. This encouraged the gemeenten to manage their finances well so that city administration could run effectively.
City Hall
The municipality of Surabaya, equivalent to a regency, was led by a mayor (burgermeester) who came from the Netherlands, although until 1916, the municipalities did not have mayors and were still managed by assistant residents. Initially, the operations of the Surabaya municipality were centralized in the Surabaya Residency building on Willemsplein, but that building was demolished in 1920. The municipality then rented a house on Jalan Gemblongan, which was considered less representative, before moving to a larger building on Jalan Kedungdoro until 1923.
The Surabaya City Hall (Stadhuis) was built during the tenure of Mayor Ir. G. J. Dijkerman (1921–1929). Although the municipality was still renting a building, they had commissioned architect G. C. Citroen to design the city hall in 1915. The initial plan to build the city hall in the city park was not realized due to insufficient funds. In 1920, with sufficient funds, the municipality once again commissioned Citroen to design the city hall in the Ketabang area, chosen for its quiet location and ample land. The city hall was built on a 102-meter plot of land in Ketabang.
