Today Stabat is the seat of Langkat regency. On its south is Karoland and southeast, the Deli-Serdang regency. From the late 19th to early 20th century, the Dutch (especially the commercial agents and prospectors) were keen on expanding their control over the outer islands of the Dutch East Indies. To secure an economic and political foothold, they needed to develop the physical infrastructure and establish communication links between the islands. This was not easy as the heavy rains in the region washed away the roads easily. In the 1900s, the Dutch constructed extensive roads, bridges, and railway lines in Sumatra’s East Coast. These activities transformed the landscape of the region and this image, taken by German photographer Charles J. Kleingrothe, serves as a record of the transformation.
