Bernard Wilhelm "B. W." Lapian was a nationalist involved in the struggle for Indonesian independence. He published several newspapers that gave voice to the welfare of the Indonesian people and promoted Indonesian nationalism. He was also part a group who established a separate Christian denomination from the official Dutch East-Indies church institution. After Indonesia gained its independence, Lapian served as head of the district of Manado and acting governor of Sulawesi. In 2015, he was given the title of "National Hero of Indonesia" by President Joko Widodo.
Early life
Bernard Wilhelm Lapian was born in Kawangkoan on 30 June 1892 to Enos Lapian and Petronella Geertruida Mapaliey. Lapian went to the Dutch language elementary school in Amurang, about 40 kilometers from Kawangkoan. He would continue to take courses up to the level of junior secondary school.
Journalist, politician, and church leader
Publications
Lapian was 17 in 1909 when he started working at the Dutch shipping company KPM. He would work for KPM for 20 years. Initially working in various positions on ships, by 1919 Lapian became responsible for ship logistics and worked in Batavia. During his time in Batavia, he published articles in a newspaper called Pangkal Kemadjoean that focused on fighting Dutch colonialism. He also published the newspaper Fadjar Kemadjoean that promoted the welfare of the Indonesian people. Later in 1940, he would publish a local paper in Kawangkoan called Semangat Hidoep.
The People's Representative
Lapian served as a representative of the people in two capacities, one regional and another for the entire Dutch East Indies. From 1930 to 1942, he was a member of the local council called Dewan Minahasa in Manado. Members of this council represented the people throughout the region of Minahasa. In 1938, Lapian also became a member of People's Council for the Dutch East Indies in Batavia and aligned himself with the nationalist caucus that was led by Mohammad Husni Thamrin.
Convention of Protestant Churches in Minahasa
Lapian was part of a group of church leaders and nationalists who wanted a church denomination that was free and separate from the official church institution of the Dutch East-Indies. In March 1933, the independent Convention of Protestant Churches in Minahasa or Kerapatan Gereja Protestan Minahasa was established and Lapian was named secretary. He was named chair of the denomination in 1938 and helped establish 16 elementary schools and 17 middle schools.
Lapian became acting governor of Sulawesi on 17 August 1950. He would stay in this position until 1 July 1951. During his tenure as acting governor, Lapian opened and developed the area around Dumoga, Bolaang Mongondow for settlement and farming. He built a road that connected Kotamobagu and the Molibago region. He established regional representative councils throughout Sulawesi and conducted the first post-independence elections in the Minahasa region on 14 June 1951. He also started the effort to reach peace with the rebellion led by Kahar Muzakar.
Death and honors
Lapian died on 5 April 1977 in Jakarta. He was buried in the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery. In 1958, Lapian was awarded the Bintang Gerilya and in 1976, he received the Bintang Mahaputra Pratama. He was declared a "National Hero" by President Joko Widodo in a ceremony at the State Palace on 5 November 2015. A monument was erected in Kawangkoan for Lapian and Ch. Ch. Taulu to commemorate their involvement in the incident on 14 February 1946 in Manado.
Family
Lapian married Maria Adriana Pangkey on 30 May 1928 in Tomohon. They had six children including Adrian Bernard Lapian, an expert in Indonesian maritime history, and Louisa Magdalena Lapian, an expert in family and gender law. Lapian's brother, Benjamin Julian "Bert" Lapian, also served as Mayor of Manado from 1 Maret 1952 to 1 September 1953. One of his grandchildren is Jack Boyd Lapian.
