Getting To Know Friedrich Silaban, A Christian Actor Who Puzzles The Istiqlal Mosque

President Soekarno and Friedrich Silaban (Commons Wikimedia)

YOGYAKARTA Some of us may not know Friedrich Silaban, the architect of Protestant Christians who designed the Istiqlal Mosque.

The Istiqlal Mosque itself is one of the locations visited by Pope Francis while in Indonesia.

In a meeting with interfaith figures held at the Istiqlal Mosque on Thursday, August 5, 2024, Pope Francis said that the mosque designed by Friedrich Silaban was concrete evidence of religious moderation in Indonesia.

I remember with pleasure, this mosque was designed by architect Friedrich Silaban, a Christian who won the design competition. This proves that in the history of bangs aini and in developing culture, mosques, such as other places of worship, are spaces of dialogue, spaces to respect each other and live together," said the High Leader of the World Catholic Church who is also the Head of State of the Vatican, according to Antara.

So, what is the architect of the Istiqlal Mosque designer like? Check out the full information below.

Born in Bonandlok, North Sumatra, December 16, 1912, Friedrich Silaban is a very simple Protestant Christian and pastor's son. Even so, he won the competition 'design to Build the Istiqlal Mosque' which was held by the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno, in 1955. This event was attended by 30 participants.

The jury for the mosque design competition consisted of famous architects and scholars chaired by President Soekarno. Friedrich won with his design titled Sandi Ketuhaan.

According to the Encyclopedia page of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Friedrich Silaban is the son of the couple Noria Boru Simamora, and Sintua Jonas Silaban.

Born to a simple family, Friedrich had the opportunity to attend his education at HIS, Narumanga, Tapanuli, North Sumatra.

In 1927, he took the Koningen Wilhemina School or KWS (Middle Education School in the Dutch East Indies) test. After passing the selection, Friedrick then left for Batavia to continue his studies. In 1931, Friedrich graduated from KWS.

Friedrich's career as an architect began before completing his education. He works part-time for an imager of BOW named JH Antonisse. In this place, Friedrich hones his skills as an architect. In addition, he also participated in an exhibition at Gambir Market.

With his expertise, Friedrick Silaban then worked at the Dutch Army Engineer in 1931-1939. Next, he became a drafter in Bogor Township in 1939-1942.

During the Japanese occupation, Friedrich worked at the Bogor Public Works Service until 1947. He was also appointed Director of Public Works until 1949. Friedrich continued his career in government to retire at the Bogor City Public Works Office.

During his time as a government employee, Friedrich Silaban was often involved in various private development projects and participated in many competitions.

In the era of President Soekarno's leadership. Friedrick is often involved in the 'National Development' project. He worked on two important projects, namely the construction of the Istiqlal Mosque and the National Monument, known as Monas.

At that time, the buildings that were made full of nationalism would be assessed. In fact, the design of the Istiqlal Mosque, which was designed by Friedrich, also has the value of nationalism, namely a 45-meter diameter dome that symbolizes the year of the proclamation of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945.

The Istiqlal Mosque was built in the Wilhemina Park park area. In this place, many monuments were erected from the Dutch and the conquest of Aceh. These monuments were then torn down for the construction of mosques.

For your information, the construction of the Istiqlal Mosque took up to 17 years. The project's groundbreaking was carried out by Ir. Soekarno in 1961 and inaugurated by the 2nd President of Indonesia, Suharto in 1978.

The length of construction of the mosque was due to the unfavorable political situation in the country. At that time, there was a parliamentary democracy in which political parties fought each other to fight for their respective interests. This condition peaked in 1965 when the G30S/PKI event erupted.

After a conducive political situation, in 1966, the Minister of Religion KH. Muhammad Dahlan re- spearheaded the construction of this mosque. The management is held by KH. Idham Chalid who acts as Coordinator of the National Committee for the Construction of the Istiqlal Mosque.

This is a review of the designer architect of the Istiqlal Mosque. Hopefully this information can make readers know Friedrick Silaban. To get other selected news updates, keep reading VOI.ID.