Surabaya

Surabaya (Indonesian pronunciation: [surəˈbaja]) (formerly Dutch: Soerabaja/Soerabaia Javanese: Suroboyo) is the capital of Jawa Timur (East Java), located on northeastern Java island and along the edge of the Madura Strait and the second-largest-city in Indonesia. At the 2010 census, the city had a population over 2.8 million and its built-up (or metro) area, 7,302,283 inhabitants made of 2 cities and 50 districts spreads on Gresik, Sidoarjo, Mojokerto and Pasuruan regencies.

The city is known as Kota Pahlawan "city of heroes" due to the importance of the Battle of Surabaya in galvanizing Indonesian and international support for Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution. Surabaya was once the largest city in Dutch East Indies and virtually the center of trading in the nation, exceeding those of Batavia, competing with the likes of Singapore and Hong Kong.

Etymology

Surabaya (Suroboyo) is locally believed to derive its name from the words "suro" (shark) and "boyo" (crocodile), two creatures which, in a local myth, fought each other in order to gain the title of "the strongest and most powerful animal" in the area. It was said that the two powerful animals agreed for a truce and set boundaries; that the shark's domain would be in the sea while the crocodile's domain would be on the land. However one day the shark swam into the river estuary to hunt, this angered the crocodile that went territorial.The Shark argued that the river was a water-realm which means it was shark territory, while the crocodile argued that the river flowed deep inland, so it was crocodile territory. The fight resumed ferociously as the two animals bit each other. Finally the shark was badly bitten and fled to the open sea, so the crocodile finally ruled the estuarine area that today is the city.

Surabaya (fictional work)

"Soerabaja" (Perfected Spelling "Surabaya", also known by the intermediary form "Surabaja") is a work of fiction by Indonesian writer Idrus variously described as a novel, novelette, and long short story. It was published in 1946 or 1947.

Background

"Surabaya" was written by Idrus (1921–1979), a Minangkabau writer from Padang, West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies. Idrus began his career in literature as an editor at Balai Pustaka, the official publisher of the Dutch colonial government, in 1943. In this period he began writing short stories.

Idrus' first short stories, such as "Ave Maria", showed hints of romanticism; by the time wrote "Surabaya", however, he had become jaded with the realities of life. He had been a witness to several of the events which later became part of his work.

Plot

"Surabaya" is told in fragments, with no single main character. The story begins with a group of Indos raising the Dutch flag over the city over Surabaya after the Japanese – who had invaded in 1942 – surrendered. The flag is taken down by pro-nationalist native Indonesians and replaced with the flag of the newly-proclaimed country. Later, the Allied forces land in the city. After the native troops ignore an ultimatum to surrender their weapons, a battle breaks out, culminating with the bombing of Surabaya on 10 November 1945.