Story and History of JAKARTA

As standing at the front door, its effects are very creepy. Just imagine, the room is a half circle-shaped, dark, stinking, and is located at the bottom of the building is 300 years old, built 1,707 years. All the walls are made of concrete walls and only in the front there is a small window with iron grating, which is very sturdy. Eeriness lunge from the old building when we see tens iron ball the same size volleyball. Is weighing about 100 kilograms, so it is very difficult encouraged to move from the place. Ball-iron ball that tied the legs of the VOC detainees in the first period.

In addition to the iron ball feet tied, the detainees are caged in the room stuffy, dark and without air ventilation. Number of tahanannya not half-hearted, can be around 80 people in a stuffy room about the size of eight meters wide and three meters.

Stuffy room, there are five such units and is still intact, and can be seen up to now at the bottom of the building Fatahillah Museum or Museum of History of Jakarta. Of course, is no longer used as a prison, but only for the spectacle of the museum, visitors, students, and families who are traveling.

However, through the underground prison, the Government can show cruelty of Dutch colonial past. Moreover, according to historical evidence, not only hijacker, robber, who had escaped or inhabit the grim prison, but former Governor General of the Netherlands in Sri Lanka, Peter Vuyst, had also disekap in the stuffy room. The reasons are not as rebellious, but because of a contagious madness.

However, a more unkind again, after Chinese uprising in Batavia year 1740, about 500 people in China disekap room is narrow. Every day the prisoners are emaciated that it be given rice and liquid fresh water. Then, one by one Chinese person was issued and executed by hanging in front of the plaza Building Museum of History of Jakarta now.

I wonder if the book Oud Batavia, Dr M De Haan mention the stuffy room as a dark alley (donker gat). Even her writing, Wie op kippevel gesteld is, moet hier zijn ( "Who wants to merinding, should come here ...")

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NOT only a grim-grim, there are at the Jakarta Museum of History. Building a former Stadhuis (City Hall) of Batavia, many save enchantment.

In terms of physical buildings have extraordinary endurance. I imagine, the building is laying the first stone is done by 25 January 1707 Petronella Wilhelmina van Hoorn (8) and daughter of the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies when the van Hoorn. Means that the building was almost 300 years, and still intact until now. Wood-wood is not obsolete, especially wall betonnya still firmly until the present.

The front door, still appeared to keangkuhannya. Made of teak wood about 10 centimeters thick, high and more than three meters. Be painted red light, the door seems solid and dignified.

Meanwhile, when entering the building in part, appears simple but elegant. Only a rung to the second floor of luxury impressed. Sidestep these be painted red and decorated with carved lion at the bottom.

In the bottom of the building, saved dozens of valuable collections. Start from a stone-rocky period and the heritage of the Kingdom of neolitikum Purnawarman, up to silver and weight of goods Portuguese era.

At the top of the building, saved tens collection goods furniture. Teak chairs are hundreds of years, the time of the Dutch table meetings, filing cabinet VOC era, the giant beds, chairs to relax and all available ancient mirror. Even painting the wood justice Sulaeman King (Solomon) are well maintained.

"In addition to the collection on display, there are other goods such as the ancient scales that have not been exhibited because of limited space," said Anne Handojosoemarto Ny, one of the translators of ancient script, the script in the Jakarta Museum of History.

Unfortunately, beautiful decoration at the top of the roof in front of the tower building the museum, a statue of Goddess or Goddess Justice Yustitia now gone. Even women with a statue blindfold right hand while holding the sword and left hand holding the weight, it is the favorite.

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Jakarta History Museum managers, the seminar last week to know the background of history, architecture, spatial structure and function of the building since the days of VOC, the Dutch East Indies government, the occupation of Japan to the Republic.

"In fact, many new things are revealed in this seminar," said Tinia Budiati, Director of Singapore History Museum.

During the VOC, for example, out of this building regulations, a Chinese trader. Chinese traders to become object VOC extortion by the head tax imposed. Understandably, when the population of China is considerable amount in Batavia, namely, the year 1619 about 300 people a year and then increased to 800 the year 1621 and 2,100 people become inflated.

In the Dutch East Indies government, the building was named Stadhuis (Balaikota) is also a place that is quite respected. Balaikota building is also equipped prison for the hijacker, escaped, and the military disersi.

Around the year 1743, when the network was built in Batavia, water pipes leiding (drinking water), created in the front of the fountain that can be the first fountain in Batavia. Because it is not surprising in the afternoon, the water fountain is always a public spectacle. Unfortunately, the fountain broke and now there is no more. In fact, the damage to the water fountain is more than the first loss Goddess Statue of Justice.

Soon, what he knows part of the damaged building which used to be headquarters Kodim Jakarta Center. Understandably, hands and dry now often make use scratch-graffiti spray paint on the walls around Stadhuis the building has become the Jakarta Museum of History.