Modern urban communities are often carried away by rapid development and forget their historical roots. However, amidst the hustle and bustle of Tangerang City, a community called Ciledug Archives is present as a guardian of collective memory. This community focuses on preserving the history, archives, culture and collective memory of the people of Ciledug and its surroundings. Founded and led by Satria Tamami, a history education activist and alumni of the Department of History and Islamic Civilisation, Faculty of Adab and Humanities, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Ciledug Archives is committed to ensuring that traces of Ciledug's past remain alive and accessible to the current generation.

Initially, this community was formed spontaneously as a follow-up to the process of writing a book on the history of Ciledug initiated by Satria Tamami. The project then received support and contributions from fellow history activists such as Saddam Alfauzan (Undip History graduate) and Harry Farinuddin (UI History graduate). While studying at UIN Jakarta, Satria was active in various local history communities, such as Ngopi Jakarta and Komunitas Historia Indonesia. His personal hobby of documenting historical sites in Jakarta and its surroundings, which he shared through social media, became a strong provision for building this community. "Actually, I have been digging into the archives surrounding my residence in Ciledug Subdistrict since I was in university, approximately from semester 3," said Satria.

After graduating, Satria continued his idealistic project. As more and more archives were collected, he realised the great potential of these documents. These archives were too valuable to simply be stored on his mobile phone. Therefore, together with his team, he created the Ciledug Archives Instagram account as a platform to publicise the archives, which contain information about the historical development of Ciledug from the colonial period to the contemporary era. "I thought it would be a shame if I just deleted the archives from my mobile phone," she adds. The main goal is education, information, and nostalgia for the wider community.

The community has various programmes that are run consistently. They actively help people digitise their family archives, publish old maps, newspapers and photos through social media. In addition, Ciledug Archives also plays a role in documenting historical sites and local culture, as well as organising activities such as discussions, sharing, and historical trails. These activities are welcomed enthusiastically by the community, who often flood the comment section with questions and nostalgic stories. The community has even established a partnership with the Tangerang City Regional Library and Archives Office.

On 6 September 2025, Ciledug Archives organised a major event in the form of the Talkshow Jejak Ciledug Tempo Doeloe, which was funded by the Cultural Preservation Office of Region VIII through the Cultural Promotion Facilitation programme. The event discussed how to preserve history in urban areas and the role of archives in maintaining collective memory. The talk show also featured experts and practitioners, with Prof Zeffry Alkatiri, Professor of History at UI, as the community advisor.

"The efforts initiated by Ciledug Archives are in line with the perspective of public history, which emphasises the importance of community involvement in understanding and preserving the past," said Dr. Faizal Arifin, M.Hum., who teaches Public History at UIN Jakarta. Activities such as talkshows and archive exhibitions are not just about disseminating information, but also building collective awareness and a sense of belonging to local identity. The importance of this movement is increasingly recognised, so after the "Jejak Ciledug Tempo Doeloe" event, Faizal decided to join and support this community.

Ciledug Archives hopes to continue preserving the history, culture and collective memory of the Greater Ciledug community. They worry that without a preservation movement, local identity will be eroded by modernisation and massive development. "Hopefully, movements like ours can inspire other areas, whether they are directly facing the influence of urbanisation or modernity, or other areas that want to maintain and care for their local identity," Satria concluded.

Reference:

1. Interview with Satria Tamami, founder of Ciledug Archives.
2. Ciledug Archives profile.

Documentation:

Screenshot of Ciledug Archives Account
(Source: https://www.instagram.com/ciledug.archives/ )

Ciledug Local History Content in the Ciledug Archives Account
(Source: https://www.instagram.com/ciledug.archives/ )