Herman Johannes

Herman Johannes, (born Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara, May 28 1912, died Yogyakarta, October 17 1992), was an Indonesian professor, scientist and politician. He was the rector of the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta (1962-1966), Coordinator for Higher Education from 1966 to 1979, a member of Indonesia’s Presidential Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) from 1968 to 1978, and Minister for Public Works and Energy (1950-1951). He was also a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO from 1954 to 1957.

Biography

Herman Johannes graduated from the Technische Hogeschool "(THS)" in Bandung, West Java, an institution which was moved to Yogyakarta in 1946 due to the independence war with the Dutch, and then became the embryo of the Gadjah Mada University.

Throughout his educational career, Herman Johannes had done many researches in rural technology including inventing a charcoal stove designed especially for the poor. The stove used biomass charcoal briquettes for the fuel. Johannes had also researched other types of alternative fuels and explored the possibility of turning agricultural waste into fuel.

Herman Johannes was involved in the military in 1940s and was the head of the Arsenal Laboratory of Indonesia’s Army during the independence war against Dutch occupation. His laboratory produced explosives such as smoke bombs and hand grenades that were used by Indonesian guerillas to sabotage the movement of Dutch military in Central Java.

Herman Johannes married in 1955 with Annie Marie Gilbertine Amalo and had four children: Christine, Henriette, Daniel Johannes and Helmi Johannes, a newscaster at the VOA.

Johannes was decorated with the Guerilla Medal in 1958 and Mahaputra Medal in 1973 by the Indonesian government. Herman Johannes died on October 17, 1992 of prostate cancer. He was buried at the Gadjah Mada University Cemetery in Sawitsari, Yogyakarta. The Indonesian government has also honored Herman Johannes and named the Greater Forest Park in Kupang Regency in the East Nusa Tenggara province after him. His name has also been used for a boulevard in downtown Yogyakarta.

Education

* "Melayu" School, Baa, Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia 1921
* "Europesche Lagere School" (ELS), Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia 1922
* "Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs" (MULO), Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia 1928
* "Algemene Middelbare School" (AMS), Batavia, Java, Indonesia 1931
* "Technische Hogeschool" (THS), Bandung, West Java, Indonesia 1934

Career

* Teacher, "Cursus tot Opleiding van Middelbare Bouwkundingen" (COMB), Bandung, 1940
* Teacher, High Middle School ("SMT"), Batavia, Java 1942
* Lecturer of Physics, Medical High School, Salemba, Jakarta, 1943
* Lecturer, Technical High School ("STT") Bandung in Yogyakarta, 1946–1948
* Professor, "STT Bandung" in Yogyakarta, June 1948
* Dean, Technical Faculty, Gadjah Mada University ("UGM"), Yogyakarta, 1951–1956
* Dean, Faculty of Natural Sciences ("FIPA"), Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta , 1955–1962
* Rector, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, 1962–1966
* Coordinator of Higher Education ("Koperti"), Yogyakarta and Central Java, 1966–1979
* Chairman, Regional Science and Development Center (RSDC), Yogyakarta, 1969

Career (others)

* Member, Central Indonesian National Committee ("KNIP"), 1945–1946
* Minister of Public Works and Energy, Indonesia, 1950–1951
* Member, Executive Board of UNESCO, 1954–1957
* Member, National Council, 1957–1958
* Member, National Development Council ("Deppernas"), 1958–1962
* Member, Supreme Advisory Council (DPA) Indonesia, 1968–1978
* Member Commission of Four, 1970
* Member, Committee for Technical Terms, Department of Public Works, 1969–1975
* Member, Council of Indonesian-Malaysian Language ("MABIM"), 1972–1976
* Member, Indonesian National Research Council, 1985–1992

Military career

* Head of Arsenal Laboratory, Army Headquarters, Yogyakarta, 1946
* Member of Military Academy Troops, Jogjakarta, Sector "Sub-Wehrkreise" 104, December 1948–June 1949
* Lecturer, Military Academy, Yogyakarta, 1946–1948
* Last Rank: Army Major, 1949
* Commandant, Yogyakarta Student Regiment ("Resimen Mahakarta"), 1962–1965

Organizations

* "Christen Studenten Vereniging" (CSV), Bandung, 1934
* "Indonesische Studenten Vereniging" (ISV), Bandung, 1934
* "Timorese Jongeren"/Chairman of Timorese Nationalist Group ("PKT"), Bandung, 1934
* Member, Indonesian Young Civil Servants Association ("AMPRI"), Jakarta, 1945
* Chairman, Indonesian Lesser Sunda People's Movement ("GRISK"), 1947
* Founder, Greater Indonesi Party (PIR) 1948
* Chairman, Hatta Foundation, 1950–1992
* Had been the Chairman of Gadjah Mada University Alumni Association ("KAGAMA")
* Had been the Head of Yogyakarta's Veterans Legion
* Had been in the Central Board of the Indonesian Veterans Legion ("LVRI")
* Member of Indonesian Engineers Association ("PII")

Decorations

* Guerilla Medal, 1958
* Medal of Indonesian Independence Struggle, 1961
* Medal of "Wirakarya", 1971
* Mahaputra Medal, 1973
* Doctor Honoris Causa, Gadjah Mada,University, 1975
* Veterans Legion Medal, 1981
* Honor of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, 1991

Publications (partly)

* "Basics of Modern Physics", (UGM, 1953)
* "Pantjasila in the Words of Sukarno" (UGM, 1963)
* "Squeeze Techniques in Bridge" (Indira, Jakarta, 1970)
* "Introduction to Mathematics for Economics" (with Budiono Sri Handoko; Pustaka LP3ES, Jakarta 1974)
* "Scientific Language Terms" (Gadjah Mada University, 1979)
* "Developing Bahasa Indonesia into a Scientific, Aesthetic and Energetic Language, (UGM, 1980)
* "Dictionary of Science and Technology" (Indira, Jakarta, 1981)
* "Various Techniques in Chess" (Liberty, Yogyakarta, 1989)