Once a dreaded court, now museum<\/p>\n
By Ida Indawati Khouw and Cecile Prevost<\/p>\n
The Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics in downtown Kota is a
\nwindow into the way the Dutch colonial authorities treated people
\nconvicted of crimes. This is the 51st article on historical sites
\nof Old Batavia.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The history of the Museum of Fine Arts and
\nCeramics in Chinatown (or Kota), wasn't always fine, nor had it
\nanything to do with the arts.<\/p>\n
The spacious complex, which has a majestic classical style
\nwith its big porticoes and wide high doors, was designed as a
\ncourt building during the Dutch colonial times.<\/p>\n
The complex was built between 1866 and 1870 to function as the
\nnew Raad van Justitie (court of justice), which previously
\noccupied a part of the Stadhuis or City Hall building. The old
\nhall is now the Jakarta Historical Museum and is located nearby.<\/p>\n
The Dutch authorities decided to construct a new building for
\nthe court due to the growing number of cases which the City Hall
\ncould no longer accommodate.<\/p>\n
The architect of the court building was W.H.F.H. van Raders,
\nwho worked with a construction company called Drossacras & Co..
\nThe construction project cost 269,000 guilders, according to the
\nMuseum of Fine Arts and Ceramics guidebook.<\/p>\n
The institution was the highest court during the reign of the
\nDutch East Indies Company (VOC) and right up to the middle of the
\n19th century.<\/p>\n
From the time it was founded in 1690, the court was made up of
\nfive appointed citizens and four VOC officials, according to
\nAdolf Heuken's book Historical Sites of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
It dealt with all the usual legal cases of the citizens of
\nBatavia. Cases were heard concerning large debts and all things
\nrelated to the general welfare of the citizens including
\nlicensing and regulations for the building and maintenance of the
\ncity's streets, bridges and canals, controlling public
\nfoundations, taxes, weights and measures, markets and prices.<\/p>\n
The court functioned not only as an institution to preside
\nover criminal cases but it also heard cases of subversion against
\nthe colonial government and of efforts to undermine the authority
\nof colonial officials.<\/p>\n
Those who were sentenced to imprisonment were sent to the
\nStadhuis which had several prison cells while those who were
\nsentenced to death were executed at what is now Fatahillah Square
\nin front of the City Hall (see also Save Old Batavia, The Jakarta
\nPost Aug. 21, 1999).<\/p>\n
Stories abound about the cruel methods of punishment for
\nconvicts, some of which can be read in Heuken's book.<\/p>\n
One particular story involves teenager Sara Specx, the
\nillegitimate daughter of an Indies council member, Jacques Specx.
\nSara was entrusted to the notorious Governor General Jan
\nPieterszoon Coen when the father left for the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
The lover of the 13-year-old Sara, Pieter J. Cortenhoeff,
\noften visited her until late at night after bribing guardians of
\nCoen's house.<\/p>\n
Coen was so angry when he learnt of the covert affair
\nhappening in his house that he ordered the couple beheaded. Only
\nafter the intervention of the Raad van Justitie chairman did the
\ncase reach the court.<\/p>\n
Under heavy pressure from the governor general, the court
\ndecided to sentence Cortenhoeff to death at the Fatahillah square
\nwhile Sara was severely whipped at the entrance.<\/p>\n
During the English occupation between 1811 and 1816, the
\nfunction of the justice institution was extended under the name
\n\"Supreme Court of Justice\".<\/p>\n
The Dutch government, when it regained power, established
\nseveral councils of justice, while in 1870 the court of justice
\nwas moved to the present Museum of Fine Art and Ceramics, which
\nwas called the Paleis van Justitie (Palace of Justice).<\/p>\n
According to Batavia als Handel, Industrie en Woonstad
\n(Batavia as a Commercial, Industrial and Residential Center),
\npeople could obtain legal advice from some 50 lawyers and
\nbarristers and four notary public offices.<\/p>\n
There is no data regarding the last days of the court of
\njustice. But during the Japanese occupation (between 1942 and
\n1945), the building was used as a military barracks and equipment
\nstorage center until the end of the independence struggle in
\n1949.<\/p>\n
After that, for about 13 years, it was turned into military
\naccommodation. It was given a new function in 1967 when the
\nbeautiful building became the office of the West Jakarta
\nMayoralty until 1973.<\/p>\n
On June 10, 1977 it was made Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics,
\ninaugurated by the then Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin.<\/p>\n
At present, the building which is located on Jl. Pos Kota No.
\n2 is protected by law. There is no sign of past cruelty and
\nprobably few people in the street are aware of its past history.<\/p>\n
Its two shady courtyards in the center of the complex are an
\nideal place for people enjoying the museum's collections to sit
\nand relax.<\/p>\n
The front part of the building is double-storied, with a pair
\nof round well-ornamented iron staircases. It is the place where
\nabout 2,000 ceramic pieces can be seen, most being donated by
\n(the late) vice president Adam Malik and the Indonesian Ceramic
\nSociety.<\/p>\n
The ceramic collection include Chinese pieces from the Ming
\nand Yuan dynasties, as well as pieces from Thailand, Japan and
\nEurope.<\/p>\n
It also displays locally made ceramics and antiques from the
\nancient Javanese kingdom of Majapahit, pottery from Sulawesi and
\nPalembang in South Sumatra, Plered in West Java and Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
While rooms at the sides of the courtyards are used to display
\npaintings and drawings, as well as several statues of the great
\nIndonesian artists.<\/p>",
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