The Jakarta Presidential Palace Complex stands majestically at the heart of the national capital, adjacent to the National Monument Gardens (Monas), on Medan Merdeka Utara Avenue. It is erected over a 6,5-hectare land at an altitude of approximately 5 meters above the sea level.
The Jakarta Presidential Palace consists of two palace buildings: the Independence Palace, which faces the Monas; and the State Palace, which lies across the Ciliwung River on Veteran Street. The grounds of the Jakarta Presidential Palace also comprise other buildings: the Presidential Office, the State Residence, the Baiturrahman Mosque, and the Museum of the Presidential Palace. Located on a setting of large, old, and leafy trees with dangling roots, and carpet-like, lush, green lawn, the Jakarta Presidential Palace exudes an air of dignity and serenity.
The function of the Jakarta Presidential Palace is more focused towards serving as the venue for official presidential activities. In addition to serving as the office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the palace is also used as the center of governmental activities, the venue for holding state ceremonies, inaugurating high-ranking state officials, (inaugurating cadet officers of the Indonesian National Army (TNI),) hosting state guests, inaugurating Indonesian Ambassadors, receiving the Letters of Credence from Ambassadors of friendly countries, inaugurating national deliberations and working meetings, inaugurating national and international conferences, and also serve as the venue for commemorating the Independence Day on every seventeenth of August.
The State Palace.
This palace bore witness to many historical events, to name but a few, the presentation by General de Kock to Governor General Baron van der Capellen of the plan to crush the rebellion of Pangeran Diponegoro and of the strategy to confront Tuanku Imam Bonjol, as well as the introduction by Governor General Johannes van den Bosch of the forced cultivation system (cultuurstelsel, in Dutch).
Following the independence of the Republic of Indonesia, this building was also the venue for the signing of the Linggardjati Agreement, on 25 March 1947, between Indonesia, represented by Mr. Sutan Sjahrir, and the Netherlands, represented by Dr. Van Mook.
Palace of Independence
The Merdeka Palace, which was built in 1879, is also place to many extraordinary events in the course of the Indonesian government, hence this palace has many special meaning for Indonesian people. One of them is the history of its name, which use the word ‘merdeka’ (freedom). The word ‘freedom’ is like a glowing hope as a sign of a released from colonization and become a sovereign nation.
On 27 December 1949, in Merdeka Palace had took place the recognition of ‘RIS’ (Republik Indonesia Serikat) sovereignity by the Dutch Government through a series of formal ceremony that being held at the same time, both in Holland (Amsterdam at 10 am local time) and in Indonesia (Jakarta and Yogyakarta at 4 pm local time). On that day in many places of the country, hundred thousands radios waited for broadcast from Jakarta that brought the great news. The news about that ceremony were broadcasted spontaneously.
At the same time the Red and White flag flapped in Merdeka Palace, the song of Indonesia Raya reverberated and the yell ‘merdeka, merdeka, merdeka’ echoed in every corner of the country. That is why the palace were named Merdeka Palace.
The first celebration of the Republic of Indonesia independence day were held in 1950 on 17 August at Merdeka Palace.
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