Jelajah

A Look at the Courtroom at the Jakarta History Museum

Credit: DKI Jakarta Cultural Department

The Jakarta History Museum - also known as Fatahillah Museum - was the government centre and a court office.

On the second floor are two courtrooms, the Court Council room (Raad Van Justitie) and the Township Council room (College van Schepenen).

The Court Council handled criminal cases that occurred in Batavia, such as theft, fraud and murder cases.

Meanwhile, the Council of Townships handled civil matters such as divorce, civil registration and trade licenses.

Inside the room, there was a large table and several chairs. Usually, the Court Council consisted of government officials even attended by the Governor General, then Judges and Prosecutors. The defendants or prisoners sat on the floor.

Execution

The prisoners decided in the trial will be punished by beheading or hanging. The place of execution was in the courtyard of the Batavia City Hall Building, precisely in the left courtyard.

From the second-floor balcony, government officials and their ranks, who were Dutch people, watched the execution process.

The public also witnessed the execution process. The sound of bells from the tower of the City Hall Building usually marked the public.

Dungeon

However, not all prisoners will be executed. However, those whose mistakes are minor will serve their sentences in the dungeon.

Apart from being a place of punishment, the dungeon is also where prisoners await trial. Those arrested by the Township police would be placed in the dungeon of the Batavia City Hall Building.

The dungeon consisted of a male prison and a female prison under the courtroom.

In addition to the relatively small room, iron balls were used to handcuff the prisoners.