Great Decisions from Cipanas Palace
Blue skies frame the main structure of the Cipanas Presidential Palace in Cianjur, West Java, Wednesday (12/4). Built in 1740, the palace was used as a holiday retreat by Dutch East Indies Governor-General Gustaaf Willem Baron van Imhoff.
Since its establishment in the colonial era, the Cipanas Presidential Palace, Cianjur Regency, West Java, has functioned more as a place for relaxing or resting for health (tetirah) reasons for high-ranking government officials. However, a number of events have taken place and great decisions have been made in the palace, which is located 103 kilometers from the administration center in Jakarta.
Initially, the Cipanas Palace, established in 1740, was the private property of Van Heots, a Dutch landlord. However, when the governor general of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), Gustaaf Baron van Imhoff, saw it in on August 25, 1742, he immediately fell in love.
Asti Kleinsteuber in Presidential Palaces in Indonesia disclosed that, at that time, the 27th VOC governor general, together with two members of the Council of the Indies, private doctors, land officers and priests, traveled to regions around Batavia (Jakarta) to the area of Priangan (West Java). The Imhoff expedition group departed from Batavia on August 20, 1942 and arrived in a cool plateau with beautiful scenery. He named the area Buitenzorg, which meant “free from problems,” and planned to build a palace that would become the Bogor Palace.
From Buitenzorg, Imhoff continued the journey for two days to Cisarua, a place where he built the VOC hospital. The entourage continued climbing until Imhoff discovered a hot spring at the foot of Mount Gede Pangrango, the Cipanas. Beautiful scenery, cool air and a beautiful environment caused Imhoff to fall in love with the area.
That year, Imhoff brought in carpenters from Tegal and Banyumas, Central Java, to build a villa, referring as a blueprint to sketches he essentially made by himself. The walls, roofs, fences and floor were made of teak wood. The resting area was built to resemble residential buildings in Europe.
Unlike the Bogor Palace, the Cipanas resting house was never regarded as the official residence of VOC officials. Only three VOC governor generals, according to registration records, utilized it as a place of residence, namely Andreas Cornelis De Graeff, Bonifacius Cornelis De Jonge and Tjarda van Starkenborgh-Stachouwer.
Meanwhile, during the Japanese occupation, the Cipanas Palace was a stopover location of Japanese army leaders traveling from Jakarta to Bandung. A hot water pool at the palace was popular among them.
The main building of the house used for treatment was renovated several times with stones and batako bricks. However, the renovation did not eliminate the original design of the building, which was built on stilts. After 275 years, the Cipanas Palace was taken over by the Indonesian government. The T-shaped main building has remained unchanged. It features list plank and gable designs and a carved roof top. The walls, roofs and wooden floors have also been maintained.
The building, now the main quarters of the Presidential Palace, consists of a living room, work room, dining room, several bedrooms and make-up room. There are also large front and back porches, where the view of Mount Gunung Gede Pangrango can be enjoyed. The hot spring, located 100 meters from the main building, still exists.
Different from other palaces, the Cipanas Palace is located in a complex of at least 26 hectares, of which only 7,760 square meters are used for the buildings. The remaining land comprises yards and wooded areas that are still maintained. There are 1,334 specimens, 171 species, 132 genera, and 61 plants there. There is also Herbalia Park, home to 406 types of herbal plants. The palace also features a swimming pool, lake and artificial waterfall.
Some of the furniture inside the Cipanas Palace was brought in during the colonial era, such as chandelier lamps which brought from the Czechsin the 1900s. However, there is also furniture that was bought in during President Soeharto’s tenure, such as living room chairs from Jepara, Central Java. Paintings, artwork and carpets were brought during President Soekarno’s tenure from Turkey.
The masterpiece of maestro
Renowned painters’ works created during the Indonesian independence era still adorn the walls of the palace, including paintings “Merapi” by S. Abdullah, “Tukang Sate” (Sate Seller) by Lee Man Fong), “Sarangan Lake” by Dullah and “Yogya Woman”by Trubus. A well-known painting, “Road beside Paddy Fields” by S. Sudjono, is displayed in a corner of the main building\'s hall.
President Soekarno sometimes referred to the piece as "Road with Thousands of Looks", because, if viewed from various angles, the road in the painting appears stretched straight in front of the eyes.
The Cipanas Palace was designated by the Indonesian government an official residence and workplace of the president, like the other presidential palaces. However, high-ranking officials and their families prefer to use the Cipanas Palace as a place to vacation.
"In the era of Bung Karno, it was used more as the residence of the President\'s family because Mrs. Fatmawati lived here. In the era of Pak Harto (President Soeharto), it was used more widely by vice presidents and families to have a rest. ForIbu Mega (President Megawati Soekarnoputri), it was not an official residence, but more as a place for nostalgia because her childhood was spent here," said Household and Protocol affairs head of the Cipanas Presidential Palace Jajat Sudrajat at the Cipanas Palace in mid-April.
In 1954, President Soekarno ordered the construction of a pavilion on a hilltop not far from the main building. The pavilion measures less than 40 square meters and was designed by two architects, RM Soedarsini and F. Silaban.
Dot Building
Gedung Bentol (Dot Building) consists of a workspace, one small bedroom and a small bathroom. The name refers to the walls where stones resembling dots protrude.
The interior of the Dot Building has not changed. There is a large table attached to a glass window and a cot about 180 centimeters long by 100 centimeters wide, one low table and a glass cabinet containing Soekarno\'s coats.
Cipanas Palace chairman Mustofa Alatas explained that the natural scenery surrounding the area was taken into consideration by Soekarno in choosing the location for the Dot Building. From the Cipanas Palace, to the east is a view of Mount Kasur, while to the west Mount Pangrango, which is part of Mount Gede, can be seen. However, today, the view of Mount Kasur is obstructed by the Mobile Brigade headquarters.
In the pavilion, Soekarno would contemplate ideas for speeches to be delivered in commemoration ceremonies of Indonesia\'s independence. The silence, cool air and clean air made Soekarno feel at home in the Dot Building.
The Dot Building was also the site of a meeting between President Soekarno and Vietnam\'s then Prime Minister Ho Chi Minh in1959. Uncle Ho, as the Vietnamese Prime Minister was often called, was a close friend of Soekarno, who jointly opposed colonialism and imperialism. Vietnam was also a major supporter of Indonesia in its effort to liberate West Irian from the Netherlands.
Important event
Aside from Soekarno, not many presidents used the Dot Building. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sometimes came to the Dot Building to contemplate.
Although more commonly used as a place to rest, the Cipanas Palace was also used as a site for important events and meetings, such as one on the devaluation of money from Rp 1,000 to Rp 1. The decision was made by the Dwikora I Cabinet in a meeting in the main building\'s dining room on December 13, 1965. The policy was taken to control high inflation.
Boediono in the Indonesian Economy explained that the Indonesian economy at that time collapsed because, during the guided democracy period in 1957-1965, economic problems were trivialized. The nation’s energy was wasted on politics.
Hopefully that is not what is happening at present, especially amid the government\'s effort to work to overcome the backwardness of Indonesia compared to other countries.
