National Awakening Day is celebrated in Indonesia every May 20. The choice of this date was of
course not arbitrary, but based on the day the Boedi Oetomo organization was founded. Every day
of the National Awakening, there is a building that has a fairly close relationship, namely the Museum of
National Awakening.
The National Awakening Museum is a building that was built as a monument from the birthplace and
development of national awareness and the discovery of the organization of the modern movement for the first
time, namely Boedi Oetomo. Before this building became a museum, this building was used as a
school which was founded by the Dutch under the name of the school, namely School tot Opleiding van
Inlandsche Artsen, which is abbreviated as STOVIA or Bumiputra Medical School.
Then, over time, this building was converted into a museum to commemorate National Awakening Day.
Where is the location and what is the history behind this museum? See the explanation
further in this one article.
History of the National Awakening Museum
As previously explained, the National Awakening Museum building is a school with the name STOVIA.
STOVIA is a medical school that is still developing under the name Javanese Medical School and was
founded in 1851 at the Weltevreden Military Hospital or currently named the Gatot Soebroto Army Central
Hospital.
All staff and lecturers from the college are doctors from the same hospital. Then, the pursuit
of learning activities and school activities were moved beside the military hospital on the initiative of HF
Roll, the director of STOVIA, until it was finally completed on March 1, 1902.
The National Awakening Museum building has a neo-renaissance architecture designed and built by Dutch East Indies
Army Engineers around 1899.
The construction of the building was completed in 1902, then it was named the School tot Opleiding van Inlandsche
Artsen or STOVIA or also known as Dokter Djawa School, a medical education school for natives which was opened
until 1925.
The construction of the STOVIA building was originally intended to produce native doctors to be able to deal with
various kinds of epidemics such as cholera, typhus, dysentery and other epidemics that attacked the island of
Java at that time.
The government of the Dutch East Indies founded STOVIA because they felt that it was easier and more economical
to recruit native doctors, compared to having to bring in doctors from Europe to treat various kinds of
epidemics.
Due to the purpose of establishing STOVIA, this school does not charge any fees, so it is able to attract
the interest of native people. STOVIA then did not only produce indigenous doctors who were
experts in the health sector, this school also produced activities that played a significant role in
Indonesian independence.
The STOVIA school then developed very rapidly, because of that STOVIA was then moved from the Kwini Senen
area to Salemba and has now turned into the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia. The
campus which was located in the Kwini area in 1926 was then converted or no longer used and became the place
of education for Meer Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs (MULO), namely a junior high school and Algemen Middelbaar
School (AMS), a high school level school.
Then, when the Japanese arrived in Indonesia around 1942 to 1954, the first building functioned as a detention
prison for Dutch troops against Japanese rule.
During Indonesia’s independence from 1945 to 1973, the building was then occupied by families of Dutch soldiers
and Ambonese.
This building has a high historical value for the people of Indonesia, apart from being related to the birth of
Boedi Oetomo, this building is also a witness to the birth of other national movement organizations such as
Trikoro Dharmo or Jong Java, Jong Ambon and Jong Minahasa.
Apart from that, several national movement figures such as Tjipto Mangunkusumo, Ki Hadjar Dewantara and R.
Soepomo have studied and gained knowledge in this building. Because of this historical value,
in 1973 the government from DKI Jakarta Province carried out restoration of the building, then on May 20
1974 together with the Indonesian president, Soeharto the building was inaugurated as the National Awakening
Building.
For those who don’t know, the National Awakening Building has four building complexes with a rectangular shape
and the four complexes are used as four museums including the Budi Utomo Museum, the Press Museum, the Women’s
Museum and the Health Museum.
Until February 7, 1984, the complex became the National Awakening Museum. Meanwhile, a family
from Ambon who previously occupied the building was moved to housing in Cengkareng, Jakarta.
This museum was later designated as a Cultural Heritage Object, so this building must be preserved,
cannot be overhauled and must be maintained to maintain the historical values contained therein.
There are several historical events in this National Awakening building, some of which are as follows:
- At the end of 1907, there was a meeting between dr. Wahidin Soedirohoesodo with R.
Soetomo and M. Soeradji. - On May 20, 1908, the Budi Utomo association was founded by students at STOVIA under the leadership of
R. Soetomo. This association first occurred due to the concern of the youth for the fate of
the nation which had been colonized by the Dutch for decades.
Because of this, some STOVIA students secretly formed a movement organization in 1908 in May.
Because these young people studied at schools founded by the Dutch for free and all staff and
lecturers were Dutch, the movement of their organization was definitely under surveillance.
Despite knowing this, the youths still made up their minds.
During the one year formation of Budi Utomo, this organization has matured. Several STOVIA
students such as R. Soetomo and Wahidin Soedirohoesodo met.
Wahidin is a doctor who graduated from the Javanese Medical School or now called the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital,
Wahidin intends to propagandize the collection of educational aid funds from Javanese aristocrats.
Because the meeting sparked the enthusiasm of the students to continue the movement for the Indonesian nation,
then on May 20, 1908 a modern movement organization named Budi Utomo was born in the STOVIA building.
Budi Utomo is headed by R. Soetomo and is represented by M. Soelaiman. Budi Utomo’s movement
then made the lecturers at STOVIA furious and finally intimidated Soetomo and intended to expel him from
STOVIA.
A lecturer meeting was then held to discuss this matter and conclude to drop Soetomo. However,
the director of STOVIA, HF Roll, defended Soetomo by saying, “Are there any gentlemen present here who are
braver than Soetomo when you were 18 years old?”
Due to Roll’s defense, the lecturers then agreed to let Soetomo and other students continue their studies at
STOVIA and Budi Utomo’s organization continued to grow.
- On March 7, 1915, Tri Koro Dharmo was founded which later changed its name to Jong Java in 1917.
- In 1918 stood Jong Ambon and Jong Minahasa.
- On April 6, 1973 the former STOVIA college building began to be restored by the Regional Government of DKI
Jakarta. - May 20, 1974 the restoration of the former STOVIA building was completed, then it was inaugurated by
President Soeharto and changed its name to the National Awakening Building. - On September 27, 1982 the management of the National Awakening building was transferred from the Regional
Government of DKI Jakarta to the central government, namely the Department of Education and Culture. - December 12, 1983, the National Awakening building was designated as a cultural heritage that must be
maintained and preserved. - On February 7, 1984, the Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture No. 030/0/1984 was issued
concerning the establishment of a museum in the National Awakening Building with the name Museum of National
Awakening. - September 1992 all private offices around the area of the National Awakening Building were moved, because
the area was used to develop a museum. - December 13, 2001 the National Awakening Museum is responsible to the Minister of State for Culture and
Tourism.
Collection of National Awakening Museum
When Sinaumed’s enters the National Awakening building, visitors will witness the replication of classrooms,
laboratories, dormitories, canteens, sports venues, kitchens and halls from STOVIA.
Inside the National Awakening Museum, there are several library rooms managed by the Legged Book Community which
has a collection of thousands of books for children.
The hall room at the National Awakening Museum functions as a free traditional dance school managed by the
Indonesian Culture Belantara Foundation.
Visitors to the museum will also see several collections in the museum with a total of 2,042 replica buildings,
wall clocks, furniture, health equipment, bell hangers, clothes, photographs, weapons, paintings, statues,
dioramas, miniatures and maps.
All 2,042 collections are exhibited in several rooms at the National Awakening Museum, such as the early movement
room, the movement room, the national awareness room and the Boedi Oetomo memorial room.
In 2012 and 2013, the National Awakening Museum was revitalized in stages and this revitalization was carried out
by the central government in terms of collection management, installing air conditioners or air conditioners to
repairs to the museum collection information boards.
For Sinaumed’s who are interested in enjoying a holiday with their family while studying by visiting the National
Awakening Museum, Sinaumed’s can come by using public transportation in the form of Trans Jakarta and then get off
at the Senen Busway Central Bus Stop.
After that, Sinaumed’s can climb the pedestrian bridge that is right in front of the Plaza Atrium mall and
walk all the way to Jalan Kwini. After walking for about 100 meters, Sinaumed’s arrived at the
National Awakening Museum.
Apart from going by using Trans Jakarta, Sinaumed’s can also visit the National Awakening Museum by using another
public vehicle that heads towards Pasar Senen, then continue the journey by taking another public vehicle such
as an auto-rickshaw, motorcycle taxi or other that leads to the Gatot Soebroto Army Central Hospital. .
The National Awakening Museum is right behind the Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital and you can easily find the
location of the museum.
Address, Tickets and Hours of Operation
This museum is located at the address JL. Dr. Abdul Rahman Saleh No.
26 RW 5, Senen, Kec. Monday, Central Jakarta City.
The book museum every day from 09.00 to 16.00 WIB, except on Mondays. On Mondays and national
holidays such as Christmas celebrations or other days, the National Awakening Museum is closed and does not
accept visitors. In more detail, here are the operating hours of the National Awakening Museum
every day from the museumindonesia.com page
| Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday | 08.30 – 15.00 |
| Friday | 08.30 – 11.30 |
| Saturday and Sunday | 08.30 – 14.00 |
| Monday, public holidays and national holidays | Closed, not accepting visitors. |
To visit and get around this museum, Sinaumed’s does not need to pay expensive fees. Because the
ticket price to enter the National Awakening Museum is only IDR 2,000 per ticket. For more
details, here is a list of ticket prices quoted from the museumnusantara.com page.
| Mature | IDR 2,000/ person |
| Children | IDR 1,000/person |
| Adults (groups of more than 20 people) | Rp. 1,000/ person |
| Children (groups of more than 20 people) | IDR 500/person |
| International or foreign tourists | IDR 10,000/ person |
Sinaumed’s can visit and buy tickets to the National Awakening Museum directly or buy tickets at the available
counters or order them online by visiting the muskitna.net page.
For more complete information, Sinaumed’s can contact the telephone number of the National Awakening Museum, namely
(021) 384 7975 or via electronic mail at muskitnas@kemdikbud.go.id
Usually, the National Awakening Museum holds museum activities. However, the museum’s
activities are not always there and only on certain days. If Sinaumed’s wants to visit the museum
while holding an activity, Sinaumed’s can check the museum’s schedule on the official website that was
previously included in this article.
If you haven’t been able to visit the National Awakening Museum in person, but are curious and want to experience
the atmosphere and museum exhibitions in Jakarta, Sinaumed’s need not worry because Sinaumed’s can visit online
exhibitions on the Duo Mangunkusumo Virtual Exhibition YouTube channel.
Visiting museums on holidays is not only entertainment for children and recreation for families, but can also be
a medium of learning and reminding children to care for their own nation and awakening a spirit of nationalism.
Apart from the National Awakening Museum, Sinaumed’s can also visit other museums or other historical
buildings near Sinaumed’s’ house. In this way, Sinaumed’s can play a role in the child’s learning
process to know the history of the Indonesian nation and awaken a child’s spirit of nationalism to love
their own nation from an early age.
Thus the explanation about the National Awakening Museum. Sinaumed’s can learn history and other
important events related to the Indonesian nation by reading books.
As #Friends Without Borders, sinaumedia.com provides a wide range of quality and of course
original books for Sinaumed’s to open horizons and increase knowledge. So what are you waiting
for? Immediately buy and get the book right now!
Reading lots of books and articles will never hurt you, because Sinaumed’s will get #MoreWithReading information and
knowledge.
Author: Khansa
Reference:
- https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_Kebangkitan_Nasional
- https://www.orami.co.id/magazine/museum-kebangkitan-nasional#koleksi-museum-kebangkitan-nasional
- https://www.museumindonesia.com/museum/90/1/Museum_Kebangkitan_Nasional_Jakarta
- https://museumnusantara.com/museum-kebangkitan-nasional/