Footprints Behind MULO’s Walls: From Colonial Dorms and PETA Military Barracks to a Beacon of Knowledge

Amid the vibrant rhythm of student life today, hidden in quiet corners and beneath weathered roofs, lie stories long forgotten. In narrow corridors and wooden doors that have stood the test of time, history has not vanished; it merely waits patiently to be rediscovered.

Let us begin at the southern wing of SMPN 5 in Blitar. At first glance, the building seems ordinary, its original facade concealed by a modern awning that stretches out front. But behind this unassuming exterior stands a structure that has borne silent witness to more than a century of transformation. Built in 1910 as a dormitory for MULO students, a prestigious colonial-era school, this space took on a new identity during Japan’s occupation of Indonesia. No longer a dormitory, it became a barracks for PETA soldiers, where young men were trained not just in military tactics, but in the spirit of liberation.

Today, the building serves as a vocational classroom. Its original roof, doors, and windows remain intact, quiet remnants of the past resisting the pull of modernity. The once-segregated barrack rooms have been opened up, walls torn down, and new partitions added to accommodate educational needs. Evidence of these changes can still be seen in the added walls between the windows, physical markers of how time reshapes space. In the 1990s, further renovations were made to expand the southern portion of the building, opening access to areas that once lay beyond reach.

Not far away stands the Headmaster’s Office of SMPN 6, another historical building that has stood firm since 1911. In the days of Dutch rule, it served as the administrative center for MULO educators. But under Japanese occupation, it was repurposed as the command office of the Daidancho, the Battalion Commander of the PETA army.

Today, it houses the headmaster of the school. Remarkably, its architecture has remained nearly untouched. As of 2007, both the interior and exterior remained in their original form, save for minor adjustments for administrative functions. A fence now slightly disrupts the northern facade, while in the west, a once-open veranda has been enclosed, evidenced by a window now embedded within an indoor space—an architectural echo of the past.

Then there is the classroom building of SMPN 6, whose origin is clearly stated on a plaque: 1911. It consists of two main sections. The northern part once functioned as the administrative office for MULO, then later as a weapons storage room for PETA, and has now been remodeled into school administration offices. The southern half, originally a student dormitory and later a military barracks, is now a vibrant classroom space. The transformation is profound: from storing rifles to housing computers, from preparing for war to nurturing young minds.

The former weapons room has undergone the most significant changes. What was once a corridor has been completely walled off, now serving as the school’s computer lab. Along the western columns, the corridor has sprouted new appendages, such as the OSIS student council room. And yet, not all has been erased. The southern section, still used as classrooms, retains much of its original grandeur. The western facade remains proud and imposing, while the eastern side has been obscured by adjacent modern buildings, constructed to accommodate growing student needs.

Step inside, and you’ll find a blend of old and new. The wooden beams and interior walls are still authentic, though age has taken its toll, with damage visible inside and out. Once, each room was a narrow barrack; today, walls have been removed to form larger, more practical classrooms. Still, the atmosphere remains layered with memory.

What stirs the imagination most is not just the buildings themselves, but the invisible stories they hold. Picture a student entering the computer lab, unaware that the room once stored rifles for a colonial-era militia. Or a principal sitting behind a desk, never knowing that a wartime commander once gave orders from the same spot. These aren’t just old buildings; they’re living relics, unofficial museums where the spirit of resistance and the pursuit of knowledge share the same walls.

 

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