Devotees gather every Sunday. They come to HKI Depok. But did you know Depok itself has a unique story? It evolved from agricultural roots to a bustling urban center.
HKI Depok stands as a testament to faith. The city of Depok’s history is intertwined with Dutch colonial influence. In 1693 Cornelis Chastelein bought land here. He named it Depok. The name came from the Dutch “de pot”. It means a plot of land or garden.
Chastelein established plantations. He used forced labor from local Indonesians. Depok became a hub for sugar cane and other crops. After Indonesia’s independence in 1945 Depok remained part of Bogor Regency. Depok began to urbanize as Jakarta grew. More people working in the capital settled here.
Historically Depok was a coffee plantation. The VOC owned it. Cornelis Chastelein bought the plantation in 1679. He developed other plantations. Starfruit became a specialty. This earned Depok the nickname “Starfruit City”. Today starfruit trees are rare here.
Chastelein’s slaves managed the Depok plantations. He brought them from eastern Indonesia. About 150 slaves were freed. They could manage 1244 hectares of land. They had to convert to Christianity. These former slaves formed 12 families. They transformed Depok into a fertile area. They were known as “Belanda Depok”. These native people lived like the Dutch. They attended Dutch schools. They dressed like the Dutch. They spoke Dutch daily. Before Indonesia’s independence Depok had its own government. It was led by a President.
Some say DEPOK is an acronym. It stands for “De Earste Protestante Organisatle van Kristenen.” This means “The First Protestant Christian Organization”. Colonial-era buildings still stand on Jalan Pemuda. These include former government buildings. There is also the former Harapan Hospital. It was once the office of Depok’s President. The M.C. Jonathans family home stands here too. Jalan Pemuda and Jalan Siliwangi form Depok’s old city. Unlike other old cities Depok’s lacks a Chinatown. It features colonial-era housing complexes.
During Indonesia’s independence struggle Depok differed. The “Belanda Depok” did not raise the Indonesian flag. They did not call for independence. This angered local residents. The Gedoran Depok incident occurred. Indonesian forces fought the “Belanda Depok”. They fought for control of Depok. In 1953 Depok became part of Indonesia. It was a subdistrict of Bogor Regency.
Depok became a commuter town. Workers in Jakarta lived here. In 1976 Perum Perumnas built Perumnas I in Beji. This was Indonesia’s first planned community. It housed civil servants and others. The development of Perumnas I marked a turning point for Depok.
On April 27 1999 Depok became a municipality. It had been an administrative city for 17 years. In 2000 Depok’s population reached 1.14 million.
Today Depok is closely linked to Jakarta. It serves as a residential hub. The high number of commuters reflects its history. As Depok plans its future Jakarta’s dynamics are important. HKI Depok stands within this evolving urban landscape. It serves the spiritual needs of its community.