Taman Prasasti Museum
Encyclopedia
Taman Prasasti Museum or Museum of Memorial Stone Park is a museum located in Jakarta
, Indonesia
. The museum was formerly a cemetery, built by the Dutch colonial government in 1795 as a final resting place for noble Dutchmen. Several important person that was buried in the cemetery area are Olivie Mariamne Raffles - the first wife of British governor general Thomas Stamford Raffles - and Indonesian youth activist Soe Hok Gie
.
The cemetery area is the oldest of its kind in Jakarta and may have been the oldest modern cemetery in the world by comparison with the Fort Canning Park (1926) in Singapore, Gore Hill Cemetery (1868) in Sydney, Père Lachaise (1803) in Paris, and Mount Auburn Cemetery
(1831) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
), Binnenkerk (an inner city Portuguese Church), and Sion Church
(an outer city Portuguese Church) was full. Because of this, some of the gravestones from these cemeteries were transferred into Keboh Jahe Kober cemetery.
Kebon Jahe Kober cemetery is located close to the river Kali Krukut. This river was once used as a transportation mode for carrying the dead to the cemetery via boat.
After Indonesia's declaration of independence, the park was used as a Christian cemetery. Within the first two years it was managed by the Verberg Foundation and for the next twenty years it was handled by the Palang Hitam Foundation.
From 1967 to 1975 the cemetery was managed by the Jakarta burials agency. In 1975, the cemetery was closed to make way for the construction of the Central Jakarta
mayoralty office. At a request from the local government, some corpses were removed by relatives while others were taken to Tanah Kusir cemetery in South Jakarta
. Many tombstones, sculptures and statues were removed and damaged during the construction of the office and now only 32 tombstones remain in their original positions. The size of the cemetery is also reduced from the original 5.9 hectare plot to 1.3 hectares. Only 1,372 of about 4,200 stones were selected to be kept in the cemetery.
The cemetery was officially inaugurated as Taman Prasasti Museum on July 9, 1977 by Ali Sadikin
, former governor of Jakarta.
Since 2003, the museum is administered by the Jakarta History Museum
management.
in Jakarta Old Town
). These gravestones are marked with the inscription "HK" or "Hollandsche Kerk". The oldest gravestones is from the 17th century up to the end of 18th century. The style of the gravestones range from Javanese-Hindu style, neogothic, and classical. The gravestones are arranged on a park-like setting.
Other collection of this museum are ancient inscription stones, miniature of different gravestones from various provinces of Indonesia, a replica of a 17th-century hearse
, and the original coffins for Sukarno
and Mohammad Hatta
, the first president and vice president of Indonesia.
The doric-style main building in front of the cemetery is built in 1874. The building contains two wings to the left and to the right of the main building, each is used to entomb remains of males and females.
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The museum was formerly a cemetery, built by the Dutch colonial government in 1795 as a final resting place for noble Dutchmen. Several important person that was buried in the cemetery area are Olivie Mariamne Raffles - the first wife of British governor general Thomas Stamford Raffles - and Indonesian youth activist Soe Hok Gie
Soe Hok Gie
Soe Hok Gie was a Chinese Indonesian activist who opposed the successive dictatorships of Presidents Sukarno and Suharto.- Overview :...
.
The cemetery area is the oldest of its kind in Jakarta and may have been the oldest modern cemetery in the world by comparison with the Fort Canning Park (1926) in Singapore, Gore Hill Cemetery (1868) in Sydney, Père Lachaise (1803) in Paris, and Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery", or the first "rural cemetery", with classical monuments set in a rolling landscaped terrain...
(1831) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
History
The cemetery was officially opened on September 28, 1797, although people had been buried here as early as 1795. The cemetery was known as Kebon Jahe Kober (recorded under this name since December 14, 1798). It was located in Kerkhoflaan and has a total area of 5.9 ha. The cemetery was built to accommodate the increasing number of death that was caused by an outbreak of disease in Batavia. Because of this outbreak, the cemetery area of the Church of New Holland (Dutch Nieuwe Hollandsche Kerk, now the Wayang MuseumWayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is a museum dedicated to Javanese wayang puppetry. The museum is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.- History :The building occupies the site of a church which was built in 1640 under the name of the Old Dutch Church . In 1732, the church was renovated and the name was changed into...
), Binnenkerk (an inner city Portuguese Church), and Sion Church
Gereja Sion
Gereja Sion is a historic church located in Pinangsia Administrative District, Taman Sari, Jakarta, Indonesia...
(an outer city Portuguese Church) was full. Because of this, some of the gravestones from these cemeteries were transferred into Keboh Jahe Kober cemetery.
Kebon Jahe Kober cemetery is located close to the river Kali Krukut. This river was once used as a transportation mode for carrying the dead to the cemetery via boat.
After Indonesia's declaration of independence, the park was used as a Christian cemetery. Within the first two years it was managed by the Verberg Foundation and for the next twenty years it was handled by the Palang Hitam Foundation.
From 1967 to 1975 the cemetery was managed by the Jakarta burials agency. In 1975, the cemetery was closed to make way for the construction of the Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta is one of the five cities which form Jakarta, Indonesia. It had 898,883 inhabitants at the 2010 Census.Central Jakarta is the smallest in area and population of the five cities of Jakarta. It is the administrative and political center of Jakarta and Indonesia...
mayoralty office. At a request from the local government, some corpses were removed by relatives while others were taken to Tanah Kusir cemetery in South Jakarta
South Jakarta
South Jakarta is a city within Jakarta Special District, Indonesia. It had a population of 2,057,080 at the 2010 Census, and is the third most populous among the five cities of Jakarta, after East Jakarta and West Jakarta...
. Many tombstones, sculptures and statues were removed and damaged during the construction of the office and now only 32 tombstones remain in their original positions. The size of the cemetery is also reduced from the original 5.9 hectare plot to 1.3 hectares. Only 1,372 of about 4,200 stones were selected to be kept in the cemetery.
The cemetery was officially inaugurated as Taman Prasasti Museum on July 9, 1977 by Ali Sadikin
Ali Sadikin
Ali Sadikin was an Indonesian politician. He was often called Bang Ali. He served as the governor of Jakarta, the country's capital, from 1966 to 1977. Appointed by a weak Sukarno, he likely had the full approval of Suharto. A former marine, he saw the city as a battlefield...
, former governor of Jakarta.
Since 2003, the museum is administered by the Jakarta History Museum
Jakarta History Museum
The Jakarta History Museum , also known as Fatahillah Museum or Batavia Museum, is located in the Old Town of Jakarta, Indonesia. The building was built in 1710 as the Stadhuis of Batavia...
management.
Collection
The main collection of the museum is the Dutch gravestones, some of these came from the former Nieuwe Hollandsche Kerk (the location of which is now the Wayang MuseumWayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is a museum dedicated to Javanese wayang puppetry. The museum is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.- History :The building occupies the site of a church which was built in 1640 under the name of the Old Dutch Church . In 1732, the church was renovated and the name was changed into...
in Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town
Kota , is a small area in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is also known as Old Jakarta, and Old Batavia . It spans 1.3 square kilometres of North Jakarta and West Jakarta...
). These gravestones are marked with the inscription "HK" or "Hollandsche Kerk". The oldest gravestones is from the 17th century up to the end of 18th century. The style of the gravestones range from Javanese-Hindu style, neogothic, and classical. The gravestones are arranged on a park-like setting.
Other collection of this museum are ancient inscription stones, miniature of different gravestones from various provinces of Indonesia, a replica of a 17th-century hearse
Hearse
A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
, and the original coffins for Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
and Mohammad Hatta
Mohammad Hatta
was born in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Dutch East Indies . He was Indonesia's first vice president, later also serving as the country's Prime Minister. Known as "The Proclamator", he and a number of Indonesians, including the first president of Indonesia, Sukarno, fought for the independence of...
, the first president and vice president of Indonesia.
The doric-style main building in front of the cemetery is built in 1874. The building contains two wings to the left and to the right of the main building, each is used to entomb remains of males and females.
Notable interments
- Adami Caroli Claessens, Catholic priest.
- Adriaan Osstwalt (1674-December 30, 1734), director general of the Dutch East Indies.
- Andreas Victor MichielsAndreas Victor MichielsAndreas Victor Michiels was a military and administrative officer in the Dutch East Indies.- Early life and military career :...
- F.H. Roll (founder of STOVIA medical school, now University of Indonesia)
- Johan Harmen Rudolf KöhlerJohan Harmen Rudolf KöhlerJohan Harmen Rudolf Köhler was a Dutch general who commanded the Dutch-Indonesian forces during the First expedition to Aceh started on April 8, 1873. The expedition failed to reach its goals and Köhler himself was shot in a skirmish...
- Jan Laurens Andries Brandes (1857–June 26, 1905), a Dutch author, historian, and archeologist who collected Hindu statues now in possession of the National Museum of IndonesiaNational Museum of IndonesiaThe National Museum of Indonesia , is an archeological, historical, ethnological, and geographical museum located in Jakarta. Popularly known as Elephant Building after the elephant statue in its forecourt. Its broad and fascinating collections covers all of Indonesia's territory and almost all of...
. - Miss Riboet, a 1930s artist.
- Olivie Mariamne Raffles (died November 23, 1814), the first wife of British governor general Thomas Stamford Raffles).
- Pieter EberveldHendrick ZwaardecroonHendrick or Henricus Zwaardecroon was Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1718 until 1725.-Early career:...
- Soe Hok GieSoe Hok GieSoe Hok Gie was a Chinese Indonesian activist who opposed the successive dictatorships of Presidents Sukarno and Suharto.- Overview :...
, an Indonesian activist. - W.F. Stutterheim, an archeologist who wrote a book about the Hindu hero Rama.
External links
- http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/09/10/dutch-cemetery-rich-with-jakarta-history.html