JAKARTA MUSEUM OF HISTORY
Jl. Taman Fatahillah no. 1, Jakarta
Tel: 021 692 9101 / 690 1483

Located in the historic Old Jakarta Kota area, the Taman Fatahillah square offers three of the city's most interesting museums. One of them is Jakarta History Museum which also known as Museum Fatahillah. This building was build as a City Hall in 23 January 1707 and finishes in 10 July 1710 by the directive of Governor General John van Hoorn. If you feeling dejavu here, no wonder, this building is very looks alike with Amsterdam city hall, now Royal Palace, which build a half century before Jakarta History Museum was build.

Actually it was a many purposes building, beside as the city hall it also VOC office, court affair, wedding, criminal, execution, prison, and commerce affairs. Prince Diponegoro, who opposed the Dutch between-1825 – 1830, was imprisoned here after his capture and before he was banished to North Sulawesi. The Jakarta History Museum was inaugurated on 30 March 1974 for being the center for collection, conservation and research for all kinds of objects of cultural property related to the history of Jakarta, and at also a center for education, study and recreation for the community. Due the very long history of Jakarta, the collection of this Museum are highly varied in shape and consist of objects being the heritage of the pre-historical period until the beginning of the 20th century. One of them is the replica of the Tugu Inscription from the age of Great King Purnawarman, evidence that the center of the Kingdom of Tarumanegara was located in around the seaport of Tanjung Priok. Further, the historical evidence of the age of Sunda Kelapa Harbour is represented by a map of the 16th century and the replica of the Padrao monument of the Portuguese.

The period of Jayakarta and the beginning of the establishment of the City bronze cannon and through various drawings and maps of the 17th century. An Old Portuguese cannon is in front of the museum with an inscription in Latin reading: Ex Me Ipsa Renata Sum (I am reborn from myself). People call the cannon “Si Jagur” believed as an impressive font of fertility. Collection of furniture of Betawi style from the 17th, 18th and 19th century is the richest collection and belongs to the most complete one in the world. This collection is reflects the association of the community of Jakarta with various cultural elements from Europe, especially Dutch, China, India and Indonesia. This museum is open daily from 9am, except Monday; Friday to 11am; Saturday to 11am; Sunday to 3pm.