The legacy of Diponegoro’s exile (1830–1855): Collective memory and its materialization at Fort Rotterdam and tomb sites in Makassar

This study examines the transmission of contemporary collective memory surrounding the legacy of Prince Diponegoro’s exile (1830–1855) in Makassar, focusing on the roles of his descendants, local communities, burial sites, and Fort Rotterdam in the materialization of memory. It explores how historical memory is not merely inherited but continuously constructed and reinterpreted within contemporary social contexts. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation. The findings show that the collective memory of Diponegoro in Makassar is not static but is continuously reproduced through interactions between his descendants and local communities. The burial sites and Fort Rotterdam serve as important sites of materialized memory, bringing together genealogical memory, public memory, and the historical experience of Diponegoro’s exile in Makassar. Intergenerational transmission also varies across generations: the older generation demonstrates a strong emotional attachment, the adult generation adopts a more adaptive relationship with this memory, while the younger generation tends to engage with it symbolically and through digital representations on social media. The relationship between descendants and local communities is interdependent and dialogical. While descendants contribute to preserving the continuity and authenticity of historical narratives, local communities extend their meanings into a broader and more inclusive social sphere. These findings demonstrate that preserving the collective memory of Diponegoro’s exile in Makassar is an ongoing social process that sustains historical continuity while contributing to the formation of collective identity and historical consciousness in contemporary society.