Fatahillah Museum, or also called Batavian Museum, is located in Kota Tua area, Jakarta. In Dutch colonialism era, this place was named stadhuis (town hall) and also used as the Dutch General Governor’s residence until 1913. The construction of this building was initiated by the General Governor Jan Pieterszoon Coen from 1707 to 1710, with the area of 1300 meters square. But this stadhuis had been renovated multiple times in Dutch era. Under the building, there was an underground room used for prison cell. Usually, the prisoners and the rebels against the Dutch East Indies Government would be kept, tortured, and judged here. One of the Indonesian heroes who was considered as a rebel by the Dutch was Cut Nyak Dien, the woman hero from Aceh who was also the wife of Teuku Umar.
In Japanese colonialism era, this building was ever used for logistic collecting office of Dai Nippon. After the freedom of Indonesian Republic, in 1952, the building was used as quarters for the City Military Commander I, which then changed into KODIM 0503 of West Jakarta. In 1968, the building was brought to Jakarta’s Local Government, and then inaugurated as the Museum of Jakarta’s History on March 30th 1974, which then the name changed into Fatahillah Museum until now.
You can also find lots of remaining historical objects when you visit this museum, such as epigraph, stones, wooden, glass, crystal, pottery, ceramic, porcelain, silk, leather, paper, and bones. Besides, you will also find Meriam Si Jagur, Hermes statue, execution sword, filing cabinet, room partition, paintings of the Dutch East Indies General Governor VOC since 1602 to 1942, round table with 2.25 meters of diameters without extension, prehistoric society tools, epigraph, and many weapons.
This place is also completed with souvenir shop, canteen, Betawi’s street food in front of the museum, library with 1200 book titles, Fatahillah Cinema which showing Batavian documentary film, and a spacious garden that often used for wedding reception or birthday party. It is really a must-visit historical place in Jakarta!