Gedung Merdeka: From cafe to convention center

Gedung Merdeka: From cafe to convention center

By Petty Prihartini

Forty years ago, Bandung, the capital of West Java, hosted the
Asia-Africa Conference. It led to the birth of the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) which is now known as the Child of Bandung. To
mark the event, United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-
Ghali will attend a commemoration of the meeting at Gedung
Merdeka (Freedom Building) on April 24. A day later, a three-day
NAM ministerial conference will commence in the same building.
The Jakarta Post presents the following two articles on the
history of Gedung Merdeka and the burning of Bandung by freedom
fighters during the struggle for independence.

BANDUNG (JP): When Bandung was nominated to host the
Afro-Asian Conference in 1955, India, one of the organizers,
suggested that the conference be held in tents. They were
concerned that there wasn't a big enough building in Bandung to
accommodate an international conference.

Actually, the city had inherited a grand, art deco building
from the Dutch. The 7,500-square-meter building, located to the
east of the town square, was called the Societeit Concordia, but
is now known as Gedung Merdeka.

The Societeit Concordia was built exactly one hundred years
ago. It didn't have a name then. It was a very modest building,
made from wooden planks with no hard floor. It was a very
different building from what it is now.

The building, owned by the Chinese, served as a cafe and hang
out spot. The Dutch went there to relax, meet people, chat and
watch the popular tonil (theater). The cafe was the place to see
and be seen for a Dutch newcomer in Bandung. The population of
Bandung was only 30,000, and 1,250 of them were Europeans.

In 1920, a meeting hall was built on the site of the cafe.
Two architects, Van Gallen Last and CP Wolff Schomaker designed
the new building. Both were famous Dutch architects and
professors at the Technisse Hoogeschool Bandung, now known as the
Bandung Institute of Technology.

The two architects successfully turned a very modest cafe into
the most luxurious building in Bandung. The floor was constructed
from imported Italian marble, the walls concrete and the doors
from quality clove wood. There were crystal chandeliers in each
corner. No wonder the Dutch dignitaries enjoyed spending their
time in the Societeit Concordia. The building became the most
beautiful and most prestigious meeting place for Europeans living
in Java.

The membership of the Societeit Concordia was very restricted.
Low ranking Dutch officers were not allowed to set foot in the
building, let alone the natives. Only high ranking officials,
rich businessmen and plantation managers were allowed admittance
to the building. Only two natives were allowed inside, the regent
and his wife.

The laughter of high ranking Dutch officials and Dutch girls
could be heard coming from the building in the evening,
especially on holidays and weekends. They watched the theater,
drank, dined and enjoyed the entertainment. Bandung, which was
then known as Parijs van Java, never slept.

In 1940 the building was extended and renovated. A new
building, in the art deco style popular at the time, was added in
the east wing. The addition, located on the corner of Jl. Asia
Afrika, was designed by architects A.F. Albers and R.A. de Waal.

During the Japanese occupation of 1942, the Concordia, like
other important buildings, was taken over by the Japanese. The
Japanese once again changed its name and called it Dai Toa Kaikan
and used it as a cultural center. During this time, the eastern
wing, which had been extended and renovated two years earlier,
was destroyed by fire.

Indonesia took over the building after declaring independence
in 1945 and made it the headquarters of the youths fighting the
Japanese. Towards the end of 1945, the building became the main
administration office.

Between 1946 and 1950, the Concordia became a public meeting
place and once again was used for art performances, festivals,
dining, public meetings and conventions.

In 1954, five years after Indonesian independence gained
international acknowledgment, President Sukarno decided that
Bandung would host the Afro-Asian conference in 1955.

Why Bandung?

"Because it was from Bandung that the fight to eliminate
colonialism and imperialism from Indonesia started," the former
president was quoted as saying in the History of Gedung Merdeka.

The Concordia was chosen for the simple reason that it was
then the biggest building and the only one with adequate meeting
facilities. Besides its size and facilities, the building was
also considered strategic. It was located in the city center and
was close to the two best hotels in Bandung, the Savoy Homann and
the Preanger hotels.

In 1955, as the Afro-Asian Conference approached, the
Concordia was renovated. The building was extended and the
facilities were improved. It took four months for architect
A.F. Silaban to complete the renovation. Silaban received a lot
of suggestions from President Sukarno, who was an engineer. The
dome roof was a suggestion by Sukarno.

Another big building, the Dana Pensiun, was also spruced-up
for committee meetings three kilometers away from the Concordia.

Before the Afro-Asian Conference took place, President
Sukarno gave new names to these two buildings. The Concordia
became the Merdeka and the Dana Pensiun became the Dwiwarna.
Groote Postweg street, on which the Merdeka is located, became
Jl. Asia Afrika.

During the Afro-Asian Conference, the Merdeka was only used
for the opening ceremony, plenary sessions and the closing
ceremony. Committee meetings, like those by the political,
economic and cultural committees, were conducted at the Dwiwarna
building.

Many of the delegates were surprised and impressed by the
two buildings. They didn't think that Indonesia had buildings
suitable for international conferences. Most of the delegates,
never having visited Indonesia, had not known what to expect.

In the Merdeka, on April 24, 1955 at exactly 7 p.m., two hours
late, "the Ten Bandung Principles" were produced. The principles
triggered a spirit of peace and freedom in the Afro-Asian region.

After the Afro-Asian conference ended, the Merdeka remained in
constant use. After the 1955 general elections, it became the
Konstituante building. However, since the Konstituante was
considered unsuccessful in carrying out its task of establishing
the state principles and the 1945 constitution, it was dissolved
by the President Decree of July 5, 1959. Later on, the National
Planning Agency occupied the building. When the interim
parliament (MPRS) was formed in 1960, the Merdeka became the MPRS
building until 1970 when all the interim parliament's activities
were relocated to Jakarta.

After changing its functions several times, the Merdeka
finally received serious attention from the West Java provincial
administration in September 1968. The West Java administration
office then appointed a manager and a number of personnel to
maintain the building.

The maintenance fund was derived from renting the building for
cultural activities. In 1970 the Merdeka regained its function as
a convention center.

Serious attention wasn't paid to the Merdeka until 1980, the
25th anniversary of the Afro-Asia Conference held on April 24.
President Soeharto then declared the building to be the Afro-
Asian Conference Museum and put it under the supervision of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The museum houses the equipment used during the
Afro-Asian Conference. The type writers, cameras, telegraphic
equipment and the rattan furniture can all be seen. Even the peci
(a type of hat) worn by Prime Minister Ali Sastroamidjojo is
carefully kept in this museum. Included in the collection are 275
photos and clippings from newspapers covering the Afro-Asian
Conference.

In 1992, to welcome delegates of the 10th Summit Conference of
the Non Aligned Movement, seven statues were added to the
museum's collection. The statues represent prominent figures from
the original Afro-Asian Conference, five of which were its
initiators, Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru (India), Sir John Kotelawala
(Srilanka), U Nu (Burma), Moh. Ali Jinah (Pakistan) and Ali
Sastroamidjojo (Indonesia). Statues of former president Sukarno
and vice president Moh. Hatta stand beside them.

Today, the building is a museum and a center for the study of
Afro-Asian and developing countries. A library has been
established. The Merdeka has not only become a grand and
beautiful historical monument, but also a center of study to
promote development and peace.