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Dutch bunker found under Tanjung Priok train station
Archeologists from the archeological directorate of the Culture and Tourism Ministry have found a bunker and some doors during excavations at Tanjung Priok train station, North Jakarta, between February and March this year
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rcheologists from the archeological directorate of the Culture and Tourism Ministry have found a bunker and some doors during excavations at Tanjung Priok train station, North Jakarta, between February and March this year.
Old Town management unit (UPT) chief Candrian Attahiyyat said Tuesday that the experts had completed digging for preliminary data about their findings.
“It is about a 2-meter underground hole. We have not yet determined the size of the bunker itself.”
Candrian estimated the bunker was constructed by the Dutch colonial government between 1938 and 1940, arguing that materials such as concrete and cement were only becoming widespread at the beginning of the 20th century.
The concrete bunker was large enough to accommodate about 100 people, but “It did not have an air supply. Therefore, it might have only been used for emergencies that lasted no longer than a day,”
he said.
Based on similar structures found at other sites in the city, Candrian believed the bunker was built in preparation of the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia during World War II.
“We believe the bunker was a hideout. It seems the Dutch government feared a massive assault on the city. As a matter of fact, the fighting was relatively minimal [in Jakarta],” Candrian added.
But the archeologists had not yet determined whether the bunker was operational at the time,
he added.
Similar bunkers have been found beneath government offices and strategic colonial sites across the capital, including Tanjung Priok harbor of North Jakarta, the Jakarta History Museum of West Jakarta, Lapangan Banteng, Menteng and Kebon Sirih of Central Jakarta, he said.
Candrian said the doors were found inside the basement, one of which was in front of the stairs leading to the bunker.
North Jakarta Mayor Bambang Sugiyono said that the doors were still being studied by archeologists.
“For now, the site of the excavation is closed to the public,” Bambang said.
Candrian said that his office was hoping to uncover another bunker under the Fine Arts and Ceramic Museum at Old Town.
“We want to examine whether all of the bunkers in the city have similar structures,” he said.
Bambang said that the excavation was part of efforts to promote the station as a tourism destination.
“We expect residents will enjoy visiting to learn about the history of the station. We plan to build a tourism information center and souvenir stalls,” he said.
Tanjung Priok station was opened on April 6, 1925, marking the first electric train service in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia’s former name).
