National Archives Building returns to its past glories

Text by Yudha Kartohadiprodjo photos by Mulkan Salmona

JAKARTA(JP): Generally associated with ruined buildings, burned stores and horrendous traffic, old-town Jakarta is hiding a jewel-laden oasis that has remained undiscovered by most passersby: the National Archives Building.

After three years of strenuous fund-raising to finance the renovation, the building has been restored to its former glory and will now have a distinctive role.

Originally named Huis de Klerk, or House of de Klerk, after its original owner Reiner de Klerk, the building witnessed the rise and fall of Dutch colonialism and once stored the documents of modern Indonesian history.

Located at Jl. Gajah Mada No, 111, West Jakarta, the closed Dutch-style building was built in 1760 as de Klerk's country- house in an area that was then an elite quarter.

Local teak wood, Italian marble and bricks from Madras adorn the structure while guest houses enclose the two-story building on either side.

De Klerk arrived in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) as a young sailor, during a rising career from low-paid accountant to Dutch East Indies Governor General in 1777. Manipulating his appointment as an administrator of Banda and Semarang, de Klerk's lucrative spice-trading side business gave him the opportunity to build his fortune.

Once occupying a vast piece of property, the house faced the Ciliwung river while the backyard stretched out to the Krukut river. To keep the estate running smoothly, more than one hundred slaves were kept by de Klerk on the estate, according to Historical Sites of Jakarta written by Dutchman Adolf J. Heuken.

Following de Klerk's death, the house was sold to John Siberg, who also became governor general.

After changing ownership several times, the Dutch government bought the building in 1901 and used it as Landsarchief or the Archive building. The Indonesian government retained the building's function until 1991.

The interesting tales of Jakarta's historical sites seem to hold more charm for foreign historians than the capital's natives. Good-quality publications on the subject written by Indonesians are few and far between.

"(To write my book) I used various books and magazine articles. None were written by an Indonesian." said Heuken. He added that there was an abundance of historical sources about Indonesia in his country, 5,000 kilometers to the northwest.

Indeed distance may be the biggest limitation for Indonesian researchers.

However, the impediment may end soon; Aldeman Rijks Archief in The Hague and the National Archive will join with archives from other former Dutch colonies to prepare a joint exhibition to present the history of 400 years of the Dutch Indies Company, V.O.C., in 2002. In its golden age, Capetown, Colombo and Madras were also colonies of the company.

Djoko Utomo from National Archive said that a digital archive of documents from colonial times would soon be available in the renovated building. Djoko is the caretaker deputy director general for archive administration.

The National Archive holds a varied record of Indonesian history ranging from documents to audio visual records and graphics and illustrations. It claims to have an extensive record of authentic colonial-era documents, with most still in good condition.

"The archive will be retained in their organizational function," said Djoko, quoting the Principal of Provenance held by archives throughout the world. The principal explains why important documents written in Indonesia need to be returned to Indonesia.

Archive staff have hunted for Indonesia-related materials scattered around the world. A journal dating back to 1602 is the oldest document the archive currently stores.

Yet, not all of the documents are available to the public.

With some it is because most of the colonial documents were written in Dutch. Others are restricted because they may "endanger national security" due to their "sensitive nature", or require the written permission of the document's owner.

Such limitations may hinder any researcher wanting to study Indonesia's past.

Indonesia currently does not have a Freedom of Information Act as in other countries. The archive is also running on a limited budget.

When the National Archive moved to South Jakarta in 1991, the historical building was abandoned and neglected.

On the initiative of a group of Dutch nationals living in Jakarta and help from friends and associates in the Netherlands, four million guilders (US$2.15 million) was collected in 1995. Raised through The Stichting Cadeu Indonesia (SCI), the funds were channeled to Forum Indonesia Netherlands.

Now returned to pristine condition, the building will become an information, knowledge and cultural center in the historic part of Jakarta.

After its opening ceremony on Sunday night, the management board is planning to use the building to host various cultural and history-related events.

To oversee the activities, a professional staff will be appointed, while SCI will continue to support the project for the next three years.

The last private owner of the house, Leendert Miero, invited a large crowd of friends to his house on a specific date every year. A one-time young soldier who guarded the house, Miero once received 50 lashes for sleeping on his watch; that day he swore that he would own the house. After fulfilling the vow, Miero celebrated the day by telling his tale to his friends.

Once chosen because of its location near a mineral well, The National Archive Building is expected to become the well of knowledge that will stimulate people to investigate the historical tales of their past.