Johanna Tumbuan Masdani (29 November 1910 - 13 May 2006), also known as Jo Masdani, was a pioneering figure in Indonesian independence. She was born Johanna Tumbuan in Amurang, in the region of

Minahasa The Minahasans or Minahassa are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to North Sulawesi province of Indonesia, formerly known as North Celebes. The Minahasa people sometimes refer to themselves as Manado people. Although the M ...

North Sulawesi North Sulawesi () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is mainly located on the Minahasa Peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia, but also includes various small archipel ...

. She was present during two important events in Indonesian history, namely the

Youth Pledge The Youth Pledge (, ), officially titled as Decision of the Congress of Indonesian Youth ( van Ophuijsen spelling ) is the pledge made by young Indonesians since 28 October 1928, which defined the identity of Indonesians. The decision proclaimed t ...

during the Second Youth Congress (or ''Kongres Pemuda Kedua'') in 1928 and the

Proclamation of Indonesian Independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 Tokyo Standard Time on Friday 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian Nati ...

in 1945. She graduated and taught in the Faculty of Psychology at the

University of Indonesia The University of Indonesia (UI; ) is a public university in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of the oldest tertiary-level educational institutions in Indonesia (known as the Dutch East Indies when UI was established) ...

Biography

Johanna was among those who attended the Second Youth Congress in October 1928 and took part in pledging the Youth Pledge. In addition, Johanna also witnessed the Proclamation of Indonesian Independence that was announced by

Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...

and

Mohammad Hatta Mohammad Hatta ( ; 12 August 1902 – 14 March 1980) was an Indonesian statesman, nationalist, and independence activist who served as the country's first Vice President of Indonesia, vice president as well as the third prime minister. Known as ...

on 17 August 1945. A year later, Masdani organized the building of a monument to commemorate the proclamation event. The monument was built in front of Sukarno's house where the proclamation took place on 56 Pegangsaan Timur Street (now Proklamasi Street) in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

, which is now Proclamation Park (or ''Taman Proklamasi''). This is a different monument from the monument featuring Sukarno and Hatta in the same park. In 1961, Masdani completed her studies in the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Indonesia. She became a psychiatrist and also taught at her almamater. She continued her studies in the United States and Britain after her husband, Masdani, died in October 1967. Johanna Tumbuan Masdani died on 13 May 2006 and was buried in

Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery The National Main Heroes' Cemetery in Kalibata (), colloquially known as Kalibata Heroes' Cemetery ( or ''TMP Kalibata''), is a military cemetery in Kalibata, South Jakarta, Indonesia. It was built in 1953 and opened on 10 November 1954. Bachar ...

on 15 May 2006.

Honors

Johanna Masdani was acknowledged by the Indonesian government several times through the conferring of several honors: * ''Sewindu Angkatan Perang Republik Indonesia'' (1954), conferred by

Ali Sastroamidjojo Ali Sastroamidjojo (Perfected Spelling System, EYD: Ali Sastroamijoyo; 21 May 1903 – 13 March 1975) was an Indonesian politician and diplomat. He served in various political and diplomatic roles during the presidency of Sukarno, most nota ...

. * Guerrilla Star (or ''Bintang Gerilya'') (1958), conferred by President Sukarno. * Commemoration Medal of Independence Campaign I and II (or ''Satya Lencana Peristiwa Kemerdekaan I dan II'') (1958), conferred by Defense Minister

Djuanda Kartawidjaja Djuanda Kartawidjaja ( EYD: Juanda Kartawijaya; 14 January 1911 – 7 November 1963), more commonly referred to mononymously as Djuanda, was an Indonesian politician and technocrat who held various positions during the presidency of Sukarno ...

. * Commemoration Medal of Military Operation I and II (or ''Satya Lencana Gerakan Operasi Militer I and II'') (1958), conferred by Defense Minister

. * '' Satya Lencana Penegak'' (1967), conferred by President Suharto. *

Star of Mahaputera Star of Mahaputera (Indonesian language, Indonesian:''Bintang Mahaputera'') is the second highest honorary award awarded by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia, one level below the Star of the Republic of Indonesia. This honorary award was ...

(or ''Bintang Mahaputera Utama'') (1998), conferred by President Habibie.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Masdani, Johanna 1910 births 2006 deaths Indonesian revolutionaries Minahasa people