"lawang sewu" Thousand Doors old building in semarang indonesia

Lawang Sewu is a building in Semarang, Central Java, which is the office of the Nederlandsch Indishe Spoorweg Naatschappij or NIS.  Built in 1903 and completed in 1907.  Located at the roundabout Tugu Muda Semarang who once called Wilhelmina Plein.

Local people call it Lawang Sewu (Thousand Doors.)  This is because the building has a door that many (in fact the door is not up to a thousand, maybe also because the window height and width of this building, people also consider it as a door).


Ancient buildings and magnificent two-story is used as an office after independence Jawatan Kereta Api Indonesia (DKARI) or now PT Kereta Api Indonesia.  In addition, once used as the Office of National Infrastructures Regional Military Command (Kodam IV / Diponegoro) and Regional Office (Regional Office) Department of Transportation Central Java.  During the struggle of this building has its own historical record of events during a five-day battle in Hyderabad (October 14 to October 19 1945) in the old building became the location of a great battle between youth Amka or the Young Generation Railway against Kempetai and Kidobutai, Japan.  Thus the Government of Semarang City with Mayor SK 650/50/1992, embodying Lawang Sewu as one of 102 ancient or historic buildings in the city of Semarang, which should be protected.

When this 100-year-old building was empty and its reputation as a haunted buildings and spooky.  Occasionally used as a place of exhibition, of which Hyderabad Expo.Pernah Tourism Expo and there is also a discourse that want to turn it into hotel.Pada in 2007, this building was also used for movie of the same building.