The "Si Jagur", Canon

In 1641 the Dutch brought this canon from Malacca to Batavia (Jakarta) and positioned it in the castle. This 24 pounder canon shows an inscription which reads : Ex me ipsa renata sum (I was born out of myself) and the Latin ciphers X + I + V = XVI which means that 16 smaller canons were melted to create this big one. "Si Jagur" was probably made by M.T. Bocarro in Macao (China) for the Portuguese fortress in Malacca. The canon is situated in the backyard of the Jakarta History Museum.

The "Stadhuis"

The stately building of the Jakarta History Museum was formerly the Stadhuis or City Hall of Batavia. The building was inaugurated in 1710 by Governor General Abraham van Riebeeck (1653 - 1713 ), the son of Jan van Riebeeck , who founded Capetown, the oldest city in South Africa. The square in front of the building has always been the main square of the old city.

Former City Halls of Batavia
The present building is the third City Hall of Batavia. The first City Hall had been built in haste in 1620 on the present Kali Besar Timur just south of the old drawbridge. It lasted only six years and was replaced by the second City Hall (1627 - 1707 ) built on the south side of the town's main square, the same location as the present building. The second City Hall initially had a flat roof , and possibly only one storey, but over the years the building was renovated several time and extended. In the end, however, the old building was no longer considered adequate for such a great and wealthy city as Batavia, and was replaced by the third City Hall.

Construction of the building
The structure of the building is sober but well proportioned in a kind of baroque classicism. The plan was drawn by the head of the VOC's artisan, W. J van de Velde and executed over a period of three years (1707 - 1710) by J.F Kemmer, a German building contractor. It is said that the building resembles the old City Hall of Amsterdam, now the royal Paleis op de Dam. This Palace had been built a century earlier by J. van Campen
History of the building

1707-1710 Building Constracted
1710-1816 City Hall Batavia
1816-1905 Office Residency Batavia
1905-1925 City Hall of Batavia
1925-1942 Office the West- Java Provincial Governor
1942-1945 Japanese Logistic Office
1945-1952 Office of The West-Java Provincial Governor
1952-1968 Headquarter of The Kota Military Command I, later KODIM 0503 West-Java Transferred to the Jakarta City administration
1968-March 30, 1974 Official opening of the Museum Sejarah Jakarta by Governor Ali Sadikin model for the City Hall of Postdam, near Berlin, designed by Boumann (1755)
Use of the building 17th and 18 century

The most important offices in the City Hall were the Board of Magistrates (College van Scheepenen) and the Court of Justice (Raad van Scheepenen) and the Court of Justica (Raad van Justitie). But the City Hall housed many more committee including the committee for the welfare of orphans, for the registration of marriages and so on. Between the years 1622 and 1634 until completion of the Dutch church on the west side of the town square, one of the rooms was used on Prayer meetings. The second City Hall also served as the initial burial place for Jan Pieterszoon Coen (1587 - 1629) until his remains were transferred to the Church, at the side where now the Museum Wayang stands.
Because of all the meetings ad discussion taking place in the building it was nick-named Gedung Bicara, 'House of Talk', or in the Hokien dialect Gedung Bi-cha-lo

The Jakarta History Museum
The Jakarta History Museum originated from the Museum Oud Batavia (Old Batavia) at Jalan Pintu Besar Utara No.27 (Now the Museum Wayang) that was officially opened in 1939. After Indonesia's independence in 1945 this became the Museum Djakarta Lama under the authority of the Lemb aga Kebudayaan Indonesia (Cultural Institute of Indonesia) in 1968 the museum was transferred to the city administration of Jakarta in 1974 the collection was moved to the "Stadhuis" building which subsequently was inaugurated as the Museum Sejarah Jakarta, Jakarta History Museum.
Source adapted from A Heuken 2007 Historical Sites of Jakarta

Rambu Solo' (feast of the dead) Versus Modern Religion

Is it true that rambu solo' (feast of the dead) in Toraja contrary with the modern religion? Is also true that the tradition is wasteful lifestyle?

Rambu solo' in Toraja have been known by world for long time ago . There are several kind of tourism object in Toraja but the most dominant is rambu solo'.

Contributing factor besides because the rambu solo' is organized with a larger scale and duration of the party that spend a few days also caused by rambu solo' is a circuit that is inseparable from the existence of a family cluster with any order that runs from generation to generation even considered part of continuity of a family of real-life family and how family interactions with other families or the environment in which the clump is located.

Perhaps there are other factors that missed but the point is that many strong reasons and facts supporting the rambu solo' continued through the time. Even the ceremonial rambu solo' should also be recognized as a factor that considerable role in the wheels of the economy within the scope of the Toraja tribal region.

Almost all the Torajan people make good breeding as the main job or as a part-time because of the results obtained are no longer in doubt. Market demand as the buffalo and pigs slaughtered animal in the rambu solo' ceremony is never diminished even when it was forced buffalo imported from other regions to the continuity of the tradition of rambu solo' ceremony. No doubt that livestock is a very promising business that is not draining and minds in the marketing stage. This is the power of signs for rambu solo' in relation to the dependence between factors other life factors that are already underway in a fairly long period of time during the existence of the Toraja itself.

Sustainability of these traditions also make sustainable Toraja culture through genealogical chain that can not be stopped just like that. Mass media not to miss preach with images that might be interesting though to some other people seem spooky. Even news of Toraja was almost identical to the cemetery and the orgy of death.

On the other hand there are some groups and communities in Toraja society itself that is not fully supported, no matter, even against it. As even this group was born with a background that shape their multi opinions .The opinions is sourced from the grounds of faith. Signs rambu solo' which was originally a religious ritual native Aluk To Dolo when viewed from the standpoint of modern religious belief will lead to mixed views as well. Not the pros and cons of a single religion with other religions, but more likely the pros and cons that occur in a religion that consists of different groups within each beda.Perbedaan views of these groups complicates the understanding that sometimes left there than stuck in a long debate .

The other group is the group that berdominsili outside the land of the Torajaland who have interacted with other cultures, so do not feel the need to engage in the business signs for solo''when in reality can not be avoided like the ancestral blood that flows within them.

In the middle of the impasse of understanding both from the standpoint of both religious and cultural point of view rambu solo' toughest test in time to see the greatness of the feast that was held was not controlled and more likely to be seen as a showcase property as a result of unfair competition. Rambu solo' which was initially opposed to the modern understanding of religion was met with a clash of religions and even the original itself as a forerunner to the emergence of rambu solo' tradition'.

Then the direction of where the actual rambu solo' find the true meaning of this finding on the sidelines the fact that real life Toraja society is sustained largely by businesses because traditional signs for solo'?

Perhaps only time will tell.