The Building History of Jakarta History Museum (Museum Sejarah Jakarta or Museum Fatahillah)

In VOC era the building where Jakarta History Museum (Museum Sejarah Jakarta or Museum Fatahillah) currently stands was occupied as the municipal hall or Staadhuis. Municipal Hall of Batavia was built in 1620 by the General Governer, Jan Pieterszoon, who built Batavia.

On 25th Januari 1707 the old municipal hall was demolished to build a new municipal hall as what it is now, under the governance of General Governer Abraham Van Riebeeck on 10th July 1710. The municipal hall was also ever occupied as Raad Van Justitie or justice council which handled civil and criminal cases in Batavia.

Defendant of any case must be cooped up in the underground prison with cuffed hands. To those defendants that were proved guilty or regarded as a rebel to the Dutch Government might be hung in the front of Staadhuis. As the other municipal hall in Europe, the municipal hall of Batavia was supplemented with a square, named as Stadhuisplein.

In 1973, the government of DKI Jakarta changed the square name became Fatahillah Square, to memorize General Fatahillah, the founder of Jakarta city. Read more...