Here lies a silent city within Jakarta: Makam Asri. It is not a city of the living but of those who once animated Batavia.
Makam Asri, now known as Museum Taman Prasasti, started as a graveyard for Batavia’s elite. The Dutch government created it in 1795. It was specifically for foreigners. The location was named Kebon Jahe Kober. It housed tombs dating from the VOC era to the Dutch East Indies government.
Imagine Batavia back then. The city struggled with overcrowding and disease. The old graveyard near Nieuw Hollandsche Kerk could not handle the high death rate. The authorities sought land to the south. Kebon Jahe was ideal thanks to its proximity to the Krukut River.
The river became a morbid highway. Bodies traveled by boat from the city center. Relatives accompanied them. After disembarking, the procession continued by carriage for about 500 meters to Makam Asri. Only company employees and those equal to the Dutch rested here.
Time marched on. The cemetery closed in 1975 because it was full. Ali Sadikin, then Jakarta’s Governor, transformed it into the Museum Taman Prasasti in 1977. The grounds shrank from 5.9 hectares to 1.2 hectares. Buildings like the Central Jakarta Mayor’s office now occupy former burial land. Of the 4200 tombs that were previously located here, 1372 remain.
Makam Asri holds stories etched in stone. Each gravestone whispers tales. They tell of Batavia’s colonial past and Indonesia’s diverse culture. The museum displays old tombstones. It also features miniature tombs from 27 Indonesian provinces. You can find antique hearses there. Heraldic symbols reveal social status.
Important people found their final resting place at Makam Asri. Olivia Mariamne Raffles, wife of Governor-General Thomas Stamford Raffles, was buried here. Dr. W.F. Stutterheim, an archeology expert from Rotterdam, is also here. H.F. Roll, founder of STOVIA medical school rests here, too. Even the activist Soe Hok Gie was buried at Makam Asri.
Makam Asri offers a glimpse into the past. It is a place to remember. It allows one to reflect on lives lived and legacies left behind. Walking through this open-air museum evokes a sense of tranquility. You can experience the history and culture of a bygone era.