Museum Prasasti: Learning history from a headstone<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The past comes to life at Museum Taman Prasasti (Inscription
\nMuseum) in Central Jakarta where headstones from the days of
\nDutch rule are housed.<\/p>\n
Many Dutch people visit the museum as much information can be
\ngleaned from the headstones about their ancestors.<\/p>\n
\"Around 200 Dutch people come to the museum each year. Most of
\nthem are tourists, but there are also scholars who carry out
\nresearch here,\" museum supervisor Sudihardjo told The Jakarta
\nPost on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The museum was formerly a cemetery known as Kebon Jahe Kober.
\nThe cemetery was built by the Dutch colonial government in 1795
\nas a final resting place for those of Dutch ancestry,
\nparticularly those from noble and senior official families.<\/p>\n
There are many noted Dutch people buried there including two
\nmilitary men Maj. Gen. A.V. Michiel and Maj. Gen. J.H. R. Kohler,
\nwho respectively led wars in Bali and Aceh, as well as the
\nfounder of Stovia school of medicine -- now the University of
\nIndonesia -- H. V. Roll.<\/p>\n
Other important people buried there are Olivie Mariamne
\nRaffles -- wife of British governor general Thomas Stamford
\nRaffles -- and Indonesian youth activist Soe Hok Gie.<\/p>\n
After an independent Indonesia was declared in 1945, prominent
\nIndonesians were also buried in Kebon Jahe Kober, Christians in
\nparticular.<\/p>\n
The city administration closed the graveyard in 1975 and
\nturned it into museum in 1977.<\/p>\n
Bearing a skull and crossbones, one headstone at the museum
\nthat draws comment is that of Pieter Erberveld, who died in 1722.
\nErberveld, who had a wealthy German father and a Burmese mother,
\nwas sentenced to death for plotting to murder several Dutchmen.<\/p>\n
It is said the sentence was carried out by the tying of a
\nhorse to all four of Erberveld's limbs, which, when the animals
\nbolted, tore him apart. This is the reason why the area on Jl.
\nJayakarta in Central Jakarta is called Kulit Pecah (broken skin).<\/p>\n
The graveyard, which is located less than a kilometer from the
\nState Palace, originally occupied some 5.5 hectares of land, but
\nthe museum has grounds of just 1.3 hectares. The office of the
\nCentral Jakarta administration is among buildings situated on the
\nremainder of the land.<\/p>\n
Before the construction of the offices, some of the graves
\nwere excavated and arrangements made with relatives for the
\nremains to be sent home. Other bodies were reburied in several
\ncemeteries around the city.<\/p>\n
However, the headstones were all left at the site, largely due
\nto their weight, particularly those with statues.<\/p>\n
Sudihardjo said the museum had a collection of 1,300 items,
\nmostly headstones. There is also a hearse used during the Dutch
\nera, a bronze bell, and the coffins of founding president and
\nvice president Soekarno and Muhammad Hatta.<\/p>\n
Awaluddin, a museum employee, said Jakartans also visited but
\nmostly students.<\/p>\n
He said, however, ticket sales alone did not cover the
\noperational costs of the museums.<\/p>\n
\"Only around 50 visitors come to the museum each month,\" he
\nsaid, adding that the majority of funding came from the city
\nbudget.<\/p>\n
Sudihardjo said many things could be learned from
\nstudying the headstones -- not only the fact that many
\nIndonesians suffered under Dutch control, but also the
\ncontributions of \"good Dutch people\" to the nation.<\/p>\n
\"Visitors to the museum -- both Dutch and Indonesian -- can
\nlearn from the headstones that good and bad people can be found
\nside by side, anywhere,\" he added.<\/p>",
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