Gedung Pancasila: Former Dutch Military Commander's Residence

JAKARTA - A Pancasila Birth Anniversary ceremony led by President Prabowo Subianto was held at Gedung Pancasila on Monday, 1 June 2026.

Gedung Pancasila is one of Indonesia’s historic buildings closely tied to the nation’s journey to independence. Located within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex at Jalan Pejambon No. 6, Central Jakarta, the building has witnessed key events, including the formulation of Indonesia’s state foundation.

Although there are no official records of its exact construction date, several sources indicate it was built around 1830 during Dutch colonial rule. The building was constructed after the previous commander’s residence, located at today’s Jakarta Cathedral site, was sold to the Catholic Church Foundation in 1828.

The new commander’s residence was situated in an area then known as Taman Hertog, later renamed Taman Pejambon. The Dutch military commander occupied the building until 1916. After the Dutch East Indies War Department relocated to Bandung between 1914 and 1917, the commander moved there, leaving the Pejambon building unused as an official residence.

In May 1918, the former commander’s residence was officially opened as the Volksraad Building by Governor-General Limburg Stirum. The Volksraad was the colonial-era People’s Representative Council with limited powers. Initially, the Volksraad served only as an advisory body to the colonial government. By 1927, it gained joint law-making authority with the Governor-General, though this power remained limited due to the Governor-General’s veto rights.

The most historic event occurred on 1 June 1945 when Sukarno delivered a speech to the BPUPK session. In it, he outlined five principles for an independent Indonesia: Indonesian Nationalism, Internationalism or Humanitarianism, Consensus or Democracy, Social Welfare, and Belief in One Supreme God. This speech became known as the birth of Pancasila. The BPUPK members’ enthusiastic reception marked a pivotal moment in Indonesia’s nation-building history.

The Pejambon building also hosted key pre-independence processes. In August 1945, it was scheduled as the venue for the Indonesian Independence Preparation Committee (PPKI) meeting. However, the meeting did not take place as Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta were in Rengasdengklok.