Gudang Timur Batavia: Cultural Heritage Buildings In Jakarta That Are Not Preserved

One part of the East Batavia Warehouse, one of the historic buildings in Jakarta which has been designated as a cultural heritage by Governor Anies Baswedan but is not maintained. (VOI Youtube Screenshot)

JAKARTA - The determination of the Batavia Timur Warehouse as a cultural heritage building should be appreciated. Governor Anies Baswedan is behind it. The presence of the Decree (SK) of the Governor of DKI Jakarta No. 1363 Year 2018 is the proof.

That determination brings with it a hope. The condition of the warehouse on Jalan Tongkol can be treated like a valuable historical heritage. In fact, this is not the case, the building remains in a unkempt condition, even in danger of being destroyed, rotting with age and this is the report of our visit.

"That Gudang Timur is a warehouse building that was built in the 18th century which represents the style of defense buildings during the Dutch occupation of Indonesia and as evidence of the glory of the City of Batavia as a historical trading center in the 17th to 18th centuries in Jakarta."

"That according to the recommendation for the determination of the Cultural Conservation Expert Team for the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on April 3, 2018 Number 026/TACB/Tap/Jakut/IV/2018, which states that the East Warehouse is eligible to be designated as a Cultural Conservation Building," said the DKI Governor's Decree. in outlining the considerations to make Gudang Timur a cultural heritage building in 2018.

Illustration of a canal in Batavia during the Dutch East Indies colonial period. (Wikimedia Commons)

Four years later or on May 26, 2022, the VOI Memori Team tried to explore the East Batavia Warehouse. Happiness surrounds us. Because, we had the opportunity to see again the Warehouse which was a sign of the greatness and glory of the City of Batavia, which was nicknamed the Queen of the East.

Instead of exploring right away, we first asked permission from the owner of the region. We visited the Army Equipment Workshop (Benglap), Benglap Jaya/1-1 Tanjung Priok. To the guard officers, we also conveyed our intention to perpetuate the story of Gudang Timur Batavia.

They give permission, and are even willing to be a resource person if needed. However, the duty officer was limited, they did not agree to give permission if the purpose and purpose of arrival was only to review the supernatural.

"Even if there is a related statement about the Old Batavia Warehouse. We are quite mastered, but in matters of the occult it is not our specialty. We also don't give permission for people who take content that smells of supernatural things," he said.

East Batavia Warehouse Now

There are no words that can describe how we felt when we saw Gudang Timur Batavia again other than astonishment and sadness. Amazed because the building is still standing today. Sad because this two-story building looks unkempt. Even though the building has a rectangular floor plan and a gable roof, it still shows its original shape.

Conditions around Gudang Timur are still the same as before, no change. The East Warehouse yard is still a parking lot for large trucks. Even the yard is also used as a "graveyard" of wrecked cars with a panorama of weeds starting to rise.

Our sadness increased when the barn began to be overgrown with trees. Moreover, the roots of the tree began to try to enter while eating the wall. We approached from one side of the building to the other. The determination of the East Warehouse as a cultural heritage building can't really say much.

The continuity of the Eastern Warehouse is like waiting for the time to collapse or collapse. We didn't find any touch of restoration even though Gudang Timur is a priceless historical heritage. Gudang Timur seems to have been neglected.

The building is unlike other buildings in Oud Batavia (old Batavia) which get more attention and are well maintained. Gudang Timur itself, on the other hand, is far from well-maintained. Therefore, the chain of indifference to historical heritage must be broken immediately. That is our simple message to those in power.

Long History of Eastern Warehouse

The existence of the Eastern Warehouse itself stems from the desire of the Dutch trading airline, the VOC, to conquer Jayakarta. They wanted to turn Jayakarta into a colony. The Company could create an imitation city like the city in the Land of the Windmills. Batavia, the name.

The Governor General of the VOC who served twice ---1619-1623 and 1627-1629-- Jan Pieterszoon Coen took the role. He, who is considered the founder of Dutch colonialism in the archipelago, chose to fight Jayakarta. Coen was able to conquer Jayakarta in 1619.

The construction of the City of Batavia was carried out. The Company made the city of Batavia surrounded by canals and walls. Like a town in Holland, he thought.

Coen did not forget to complete the development of Batavia by establishing a government center in the form of Kasteel Batavia which is surrounded by a fort with four bastions (reconnaissance strongholds), namely Parrel (northwest), Saphier (northeast), Robijn (southeast) and Diamant (southwest).

Artist's drawing of the residence of the Dutch Governor-General in Batavia circa 18th century. (Wikimedia Commons)

“The desire for chastity – which sometimes resembles chastity – drives Coen or anyone else to live an exclusive life. In 1619 he destroyed Jakarta (Jacatra). The two buildings that became the center of the city were the district and the mosque. On top of its rubble he built Kasteel Batavia which soon became an isolation room.”

“The natives have left it, the Javanese are forbidden to live, and the surrounding forest is full of wild animals. In 1642 it was forbidden for women to go outside the Kasteel gates. The slaves cannot be sold by their owners to Jews, Muslims or godless people," explained Goenawan Mohamad in his article in Tempo Magazine entitled JPC (2016).

"The construction of Kasteel and the fort was the beginning of Batavia's fame as one of the world's spice trade centers. At the same time there were also many food storage warehouses, Graanpakhuizen or wheat warehouses," said historian Adolf Heuken, alias oostzijdsche pakhuizen or Eastern Warehouse. .