![COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM 'Citadel 'Prins Hendrik' te Weltevreden' TMnr 10002113](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_%27Citadel_%27Prins_Hendrik%27_te_Weltevreden%27_TMnr_10002113.jpg)
The Citadel Prins Frederik, also called Fort Prins Frederik, was a fortification built in 1837 by the Dutch in Batavia (now
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
), in the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
(now Indonesia). It was located at Wilhelmina Park, which demolished around 1961 and replaced by the
Istiqlal Mosque.
The local people often referred to the fort as ''Gedung Tanah'' (The Ground Building).
History
Origins
The site was once the location of a tavern, built before 1669. In 1723 sergeant-major Herman van Baijen rebuilt the tavern as a large country house. Later, from 1743 to 1820, the building was used as a hospital, called the Outer Hospital because it was outside the city walls.
The location was considered healthy since it was in the low hills inland from Batavia, so the risk of malaria was lower. The site was in what would become Wilhelmina Park in the
Weltevreden area, today's
Sawah Besar, between the two branches of the
Ciliwung River. The surrounding countryside was extremely fertile, with deep, rich topsoil.
Construction
![COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Fort Prins Frederik in het Wilhelminapark Weltevreden (Batavia) TMnr 10015199](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Fort_Prins_Frederik_in_het_Wilhelminapark_Weltevreden_%28Batavia%29_TMnr_10015199.jpg)
The fort was built in 1837 to the order of Governor-General
Johannes van den Bosch
Johannes, Count van den Bosch (2 February 1780 – 28 January 1844) was a Dutch officer and politician. He was Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies (1830–1833), commander of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army, Minister of Colonies ...
as part of a planned line of defence in today's
Kebon Sirih, Menteng.
The engineer Colonel
Carel van der Wyck
Carel is a given name, and may refer to:
Arts
* Carel Blotkamp, Dutch artist and art historian
* Carel de Moor, Dutch etcher and painter
* Carel Fabritius, Dutch painter and one of Rembrandt's most gifted pupils
* Carel van Mander, Flemish pain ...
designed the building, and Captain Lucius Gerhard Johan George Schonermarck was responsible for construction.
Prince
Willem Frederik Hendrik (1820–1879) laid the first stone, and later opened the fort.
The citadel was named after the prince, one of the sons of King
William II of the Netherlands
William II ( nl, Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, anglicized as William Frederick George Louis; 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849) was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg.
William II was the son of William ...
and one of the few members of the royal family to visit the East Indies.
Wilhelmina Park
Surrounding Citadel Prins Frederik was Wilhelmina Park, named after
Queen Wilhelmina who was
sworn-in in 1898. The park was built on the initiative of van den Bosch in 1834. The park had an area of 9.32 hectares, was known as the largest park ever in Batavia, even the largest modern park in Asia at the time. Aside from functioning as a vegetable garden for Dutch officers in the region, the Wilhelmina park was also one of the favorite sightseeing spots for Company officials, as well as landlords who settled around Weltevreden. The location of this park was in front of the
Jakarta Cathedral Church.
There was also an ''Atjeh-Monument'', built to commemorate the death of Dutch soldiers in the
Aceh War.
It was destroyed in 1961, a couple of months before the start of the building of the mosque.
Structure
The fort was built from brick, and was protected by an earth rampart.
It was rectangular, with a bastion at each corner.
The windows could be used as portholes for cannon.
A rectangular tower in the center had clocks, windows and doors on each side, and was used as a look-out.
The defences were never put to the test, since no enemies attacked Batavia until 1942, by which time it was obsolete.
See also
*
Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta
*
List of forts
This is a list for articles on notable historic forts which may or may not be under
current active use by a military. There are also many towns named after a Fort, the largest being Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
Antigua and Barbuda
* Fort ...
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
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{{refend
Installations of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
Forts in Indonesia
Colonial architecture in Jakarta
Central Jakarta