Museum Fatahillah
Photo source: IndoIndians.com
Fatahillah Museum, also called Batavian Museum, is located in the Kota Tua area, Jakarta. In the Dutch colonialism era, this place was named Stadhuis (town hall) and was also used as the Dutch General Governor’s residence until 1913. The construction of this building was initiated by General Governor Jan Pieterszoon Coen from 1707 to 1710, with an area of 1300 meters square. But this Stadhuis had been renovated multiple times in the Dutch era.
Photo source: IndoIndians.com
Under the building, there was an underground room used for a 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 a rebel by the Dutch was Cut Nyak Dien, the woman hero from Aceh who was also the wife of Teuku Umar.
Photo source: IndoIndians.com
In the Japanese colonial era, this building was ever used for the logistic collecting office of Dai Nippon. After the freedom of the 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 to Fatahillah Museum until now.
Photo source: IndoIndians.com
You can also find lots of remaining historical objects when you visit this museum, such as epigraphs, stones, wood, glass, crystal, pottery, ceramic, porcelain, silk, leather, paper, and bones. Besides, you will also find Meriam Si Jagur, a Hermes statue, an execution sword, a filing cabinet, a room partition, paintings of the Dutch East Indies General Governor VOC from 1602 to 1942, a round table with 2.25 meters of the diameter without extension, prehistoric society tools, epigraph, and many weapons.
Photo source: IndoIndians.com
Photo by Arfan Adytiya on Unsplash
This place is also completed with a souvenir shop, canteen, Betawi’s street food in front of the museum, library with 1200 book titles, Fatahillah Cinema which shows Batavian documentary films, and a spacious garden that is often used for a wedding reception or birthday party. It is really a must-visit historical place in Jakarta!
Photo by Anisa Ryanda Putri on Unsplash