Today's History, September 28, 1795: Construction Of Kebon Jahe Kober Cemetery In Tanah Abang Started By VOC

Past photo of Kebon Jahe Kober Cemetery or Taman Prasasti Museum, which was built by VOC on September 28, 1795. (Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA – Today's history, 227 years ago, September 28, 1795, the Dutch trading company VOC built the Kebon Jahe Kober Cemetery (now: Taman Prasasti Museum). The construction of the tomb located in the Tanah Abang area was carried out in a hurry.

The high death rate in Batavia (now: Jakarta) is the origin. The other graves are full. Previously, Batavia was hit by an epidemic of malaria and cholera. Both diseases became the number one killer in Batavia.

The VOC was shrewd in monopolizing the spice trade in the Nusantara. However, they are not great at protecting the environment in Batavia. In fact, Batavia was the center of his government. The city that was once built to resemble urban planning in the Netherlands is starting to lose its beauty.

Rappard's lithography (stone print) depicting a monument to Father Henrikus van der Grinten in Kebonjahe Kober, Tanah Abang, now the Taman Prasasti Museum. (Wikimedia Commons)

The reckless development, large-scale land clearing, and the emergence of factories are the culprits. This activity must be paid dearly for the damage to the environment. The water is polluted and disease arrives.

Malaria and blown away are the deadliest. Many Dutch became victims. Hospitals in Batavia were overwhelmed. Instead of being able to recover, many people who entered the hospital died. Every day there is always sad news.

Cemeteries are often crowded. In fact, almost all cemeteries in Oud Batavia (Now: Kota Tua Area) are unable to accommodate a large number of victims. The government made prevention efforts. However, it ended in failure.

Suddenly most of the residents of two Indonesian settlements near the new canal fell ill, and from there the disease spread to Batavia. The death rate rose to a terrible level, and remained high until the next century. Foreign visitors who come to Batavia and make friends there often did not find any of their friends still alive when they came again half a year later after exploring the Nusantara.

The Kebon Jahe Kober Cemetery which was built during the VOC period and officially opened on 28 September 1795. (Wikimedia Commons)

From the symptoms of the disease, we can conclude that the outbreak was malaria, but it cannot be explained why the disease appeared so suddenly or, at least, why the disease spread so widely after 1731 and whether the excavation of the new canal was related to it. The doctor at that time failed to find the cause, said Bernard HM Vlekke in the book Nusantara (2008).

The death toll in large numbers made the existing funeral almost full. Moreover, the victims continued to grow. The VOC also understands very well the problem. Efforts to overcome the funeral were carried out. The VOC prefers to build a new cemetery rather than increase resistance to the outbreak.

The new funeral was named Kebon Jahe Kober Cemetery. The funeral, which was built on September 28, 1795, has an area of 5.5 hectares. The Dutch buried here from various circles. From employers to religious leaders. People also dubbed the funeral as the Graaf der Hollander: Dutch grave.

The Kebon Jahe Kober Cemetery was turned into the Taman Inscription Museum on July 9, 1977, which is an open-air museum with a collection of tombs, tombstones, and inscriptions reaching 1,372 pieces. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Tanah Abang funeral was located far from outside the city of Batavia at that time. For health considerations and because all Christian graves were full, the government considered it necessary to open a new cemetery. The new cemetery began to be used in 1795 on land donated by Van Riemsdijk.

The liquefied is so far from residential centers that the bodies must be transported by boat via Krukut River. It is not too surprising that people hesitate to bury their families in that place. Although in 1799 all Christian graves within the city of Batavia (which is the southern boundary located around Glodok now) were declared closed or not allowed to accept new occupants," wrote the book Batavia: Kisah Jakarta Tempo Doeloe (1988).

The discussion of the Kebon Jahe Kober Food, Tanah Abang on September 28, 1795, became a part of today's history in Indonesia.