Bernard Wilhelm Lapian

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.