Mayor of Bukittinggi meets three ambassadors ahead of Jam Gadang's centenary

Bukittinggi (ANTARA) - The Mayor of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Ramlan Nurmatias, will meet with three ambassadors—those of Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK—on 30 March ahead of the centenary commemoration of Jam Gadang in June 2026.

“As part of the preparations for the 100th anniversary of Jam Gadang, I have already met with the Ambassadors of Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands,” said Ramlan Nurmatias in Bukittinggi on Monday.

Ramlan explained that the meetings with the three ambassadors were to investigate the connections and history of the construction of Jam Gadang, which took place in 1926 during the Dutch East Indies administration.

According to Ramlan, excavating the history of Jam Gadang is very important so that the journey of the Indonesian nation is not forgotten, especially by the current generation. Moreover, the city of Bukittinggi is rich in the history of Indonesia’s founding.

Ramlan also mentioned how the role of the city, the birthplace of Bung Hatta, became the lifeline of Indonesia when it was designated as the Capital City. This history is directly linked to the events of the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (PDRI) in Bukittinggi under the leadership of Sjafruddin Prawiranegara.

In its agenda, the Bukittinggi City Government will hold eight main events for the 100th anniversary commemoration of Jam Gadang.

The eight events are: Jam Gadang Cultural Night, an international seminar on Bukittinggi-Amsterdam diplomacy, a national seminar on Bukittinggi as the City of Struggle, a photography competition, an exhibition of 100 photos of Jam Gadang, an international seminar on the architecture and mechanics of Jam Gadang, Bukittinggi Cinema Week, a writing and poetry reading competition for the 100th anniversary of Jam Gadang at the national student level, and free morning breakfast.