The Peneleh Dutch Cemetery in Surabaya is the second oldest colonial cemetery in Indonesia after Kebun Jahe Kober Jakarta, and bears witness to the history of Dutch colonialism in the East Indies. Initially, European burials were held around the church, but for health reasons, the burial site was moved to Krembangan in 1793. Over time, Krembangan became overcrowded, so in 1825 the Church Council requested the Resident of Surabaya to open a new cemetery in the Peneleh area. The Peneleh Cemetery construction project began on February 26, 1846, under the supervision of engineer Geil. It was inaugurated by Dr. W.R. van Hoëvell on December 1, 1847, with an initial area of approximately 4.5 hectares, expanding to 5.4 hectares. It is located outside the Surabaya city limits near Kebon Rojo. The cemetery is lavishly designed, with a system of sand graves (rental) and underground burials (permanent), and includes a crematorium building.

The Peneleh Cemetery is connected to the Peneleh River pier to facilitate the burial of bodies brought from the city center. Many important figures from the Dutch East Indies are buried here, such as Pieter Merkus (Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies), Van der Tuuk (founder of the Indonesian language), Bayer (owner of the largest steel factory in the Indies), Van der Elzen (the first Jesuit Catholic priest in the Indies in 1859), and the Ursuline Sisters. The cemetery's distinctive features are evident in the tombstones, which feature codes, crosses, little angels, marble, steel, and other colonial designs. A single grave can accommodate more than two bodies from one family, using a stacked burial system. The cemetery is public, accepting bodies from various religious backgrounds, including Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Freemasons, and Chinese and Japanese citizens. The graves are inscribed in Dutch, German, English, Japanese Kanji, and Chinese. However, no indigenous people are buried here.

Due to high demand, Peneleh Cemetery was full by 1915, so a new cemetery complex was opened in Kembang Kuning in 1916. More than 10,000 bodies have been buried at Peneleh Cemetery, but today only about 3,500 names remain. Peneleh Cemetery is not only a burial place, but also an important historical record of the dynamics of life, national differences, and colonial policies during the Dutch East Indies era in Surabaya, making it one of the important colonial history sites for the current generation to study.