Pabrik gula Sindanglaut merupakan salah satu tinggalan industri yang berasal dari masa kolonial dan diteliti menggunakan sudut pandang arkeologi industri. Masuknya bangsa Belanda ke Indonesia mulai memicu industri gula dalam skala besar dengan berdirinya pabrik gula di berbagai daerah di Jawa. Bangsa Belanda datang membawa pengaruh terhadap perkembangan teknologi produksi gula di Indonesia dengan dipergunakannya mesin-mesin hasil Revolusi Industri yang terjadi di Inggris pada abad ke-18. Salah satu pabrik gula yang didirikan di Jawa Barat pada masa kolonial adalah pabrik gula Sindanglaut. Pabrik gula Sindanglaut memiliki beberapa komponen penunjang kegiatan produksi gula, yaitu sumber daya alam, bahan baku, alat dan bangunan produksi, serta bangunan tempat tinggal pegawai. Berdirinya pabrik gula Sindanglaut tidak hanya memperkenalkan kegiatan industri kepada masyarakat pribumi tetapi juga ikut mengubah tatanan masyarakat yang semula feodal menjadi masyakarat industri. Pada masyarakat industri terdapat pembagian kelas sosial berdasarkan pekerjaan atau jabatan mereka. Pembagian kelas sosial menjadi beberapa golongan ditampilkan dalam bentuk bangunan pegawai dan pola ketetakanya.

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Sindanglaut sugar factory is one of industrial heritage, which cmose from colonial era and is being researched with industrial archaeology’s perspective. The arrival of the Dutch in Indonesia started to affect sugar industry in huge scale in some of areas in Java. The Dutch has influenced the technology development of sugar production in Indonesia, such as using the machines, which is a result from Industry Revolution in England, that happened in 18th century. One of sugar factory that has built in West Java in colonial era is Sindanglaut sugar factory. Sindanglaut sugar factory has supporting components for activities of sugar production, such as natural resources, raw material, tools and production building, and also houses for the workers. The establishment of Sindanglaut sugar factory is not only to introduce industrial activity to the society, but also has changed the social structure of society, which at first is feudal and then became industrial society. In industrial society there is classification of social class, based on the job or their position. The classification of social class which divided the society into some classes is represented from the style of the building of worker’s houses and its position pattern.