Benteng Museum marks RI fight for independence

By Bambang M.

YOGYAKARTA (JP): It is difficult to miss the big white building with Dutch architecture standing on the southern end of Yogyakarta's main street of Jl. Ahmad Yani.

Once known as the Dutch Vredeburg Fort, the building was turned into Museum Benteng Yogyakarta in the early 1990s to commemorate the country's struggle for independence.

"We have about 5,000 historical articles related to the Indonesians' struggle for independence," said the museum's chairman, Budiharja.

All of the articles, however, are not able to be displayed due to a lack of space in the museum, which currently has three permanent display rooms and two temporary ones.

Among the oldest articles is the building itself. It was built in 1760 by Prince Mangkubumi -- or Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono Senopati Ing Alogo Abdul Rachman Sayidin Panata Gama Khalifatulah I (Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono I) of Yogyakarta Palace -- five years after he began construction on his own palace in 1755.

The building was very simple when it was first built. It was not until 1767 that the building was renovated by Sri Sultan after the then Java North Coast Governor, W.H. Van Ossenberch of the Netherlands, suggested the fort be made stronger to allow the Dutch to maintain the security of the palace and its surroundings. The renovation was supervised by Dutch construction expert Frans Haak.

The Dutch, however, had a secret interest. They were planning to use the fort to control the palace's activities. Located only about a cannon's shot away from the palace, the fort was strategically positioned to attack the palace if it turned against the Dutch.

Since Sri Sultan was preoccupied with the construction of his own place, the fort's renovation was only completed in 1787, at which time it was renamed Rustenbergh, meaning a fort for resting.

However, an earthquake destroyed the fort in 1867, after which it was rebuilt. When the work was completed, the fort was again renamed, this time Vredeburg, or a fort for peace. Historians believe this name was chosen to represent the peace between Sri Sultan and the Dutch.

As a fort, Vredeburg had all the necessary facilities, including houses for senior officers, a soldiers dormitory, warehouse, ammunition storehouse, hospital, resident housing and a jail. The fort also had supporting facilities such as a ditch, bridge and a strong gate along with high and thick wall to assure its security.

Now, the facilities are used as display rooms, a library and seminar rooms.

"The permanent display room in E section, for example, was formerly the soldiers dormitory," explained Budiharja.

The Indonesian Army took over the fort when the country proclaimed its independence on Aug. 17, 1945. However, during renewed military aggression on Dec. 19, 1949, the Dutch retook control of the fort, returning it to Indonesia on Dec. 27, 1949.

Due to the fort's historical value it was declared a protected building by then education and culture minister Daoed Joesoef on July 15, 1981. The declaration was made five years after Gadjah Mada University conducted a feasibility study on the fort. "This means we cannot just demolish the building," said Budiharja, who has chaired the museum since 1992.

The decision to turn to fort into a museum celebrating the nation's struggle for independence came from then education and culture minister Nugroho Notosusanto on Nov. 5, 1984. The museum was first opened to the public on Nov. 23, 1992, after going through a series of renovations.

At the museum, the complete story of Indonesia's struggle for independence is presented in four dioramas.

The first one describes Prince Diponegoro's struggle against the Dutch to the time when the Japanese came to Yogyakarta (1825- 1945). The second diorama pictures Yogyakartans' fight for independence (1945-1947), while the third one describe the people's fight to defend the country's independence and to achieve international recognition (1947-1950). The last diorama features the dynamic struggles of Yogyakartans from 1950 to 1974.

Most of the visitors to the museum, according to Budiharja, are domestic tourists, most of whom are students, while foreign tourists mostly come to admire the building's architecture. Visitors are charged Rp 750 for entrance into the museum.