T

he Depok administration has declared the 18th century-built Rumah Cimanggis in Depok, West Java, a cultural heritage site amid concerns that the colonial-era building would be torn down to make way for the development of the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII).

“I have issued the decree,” Depok Mayor Muhammad Idris said as reported by tempo.co on Friday.

Activists and historians had previously urged the government to declare the Dutch colonial mansion a cultural heritage site to ensure its preservation. The decree follows previous studies conducted by a West Java cultural heritage team of experts that found that Rumah Cimanggis was the first modern house in Depok.

“The house has many unique features. Besides being the first modern house in Depok, it also demonstrates that Depok is a unique city,” tea member Reiza D. Dienaputra said.

He argued that Rumah Cimanggis deserved to be declared a cultural heritage site, because not only was it more than 50 years old but it also held important meaning for the city.

The historian from Bangdung’s Padjajaran University said as a city, Depok was privately owned and had its own autonomy during the Dutch colonial era. Depok also served as a rest area for Europeans traveling from Jakarta to Bogor.

“Rumah Cimanggis is evidence that Depok was a unique city preferred by Europeans as a place to rest,” Reiza added.