Herman Johannes

Herman Johannes (28 May 1912 – 17 October 1992) was an Indonesian professor, scientist, politician and National Hero. Johannes was the rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta (1961–1966), Coordinator for Higher Education from 1966 to 1979, a member of Indonesia's Presidential Supreme Advisory Council (Dewan Pertimbangan Agung or DPA) from 1968 to 1978, and the 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 Technische Hogeschool (THS) in Bandung, West Java, an institution which was moved to Yogyakarta in 1946 during the war of independence with the Dutch. The institution later became the embryo of Gadjah Mada University.

During his academic career, Johannes carried out research on rural technology, including inventing a charcoal stove designed especially for the poor, which used biomass charcoal briquettes for fuel. Johannes also investigated other types of alternative fuels and explored the possibility of turning agricultural waste into fuel.

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

Herman Johannes married Annie Marie Gilbertine Amalo in 1955. They 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 17 October 1992 of prostate cancer. He was buried at the Universitas Gadjah Mada Cemetery in Sawitsari, Yogyakarta. In November 2009, he was honored by the Indonesian government as a National Hero.

Legacy The Indonesian government honored Herman Johannes and named the Greater Forest Park in Kupang Regency in East Nusa Tenggara province after him. His name is used for a boulevard in downtown Yogyakarta.

His face is also depicted in the 100 Indonesian rupiah coins denomination in 2016.

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, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta, 1951–1956 Dean, Faculty of Natural Sciences (FIPA), Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, 1955–1962 Rector, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 1961–1966 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 (Dewan Pertimbangan Agung or 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), 1972–1977 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 Indonesia Party (PIR) 1948 Chairman, Hatta Foundation, 1950–1992 Chairman of Gadjah Mada University Alumni Association (KAGAMA), 1958–1961, 1973–1981 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) Had been an Honorary Member of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI)

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 Indonesian National Hero, 2009

Selected 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)