Travelers, Fortress Vastnburg Needs Our Attention!

The travelers  who visit Yogyakarta certainly familiar with Vredeburg a fort of  Dutch Colonial Government Era in Malioboro. Actuially Surakarta has the same one, Vastnburg Fort. Unfortunately Fortress Vastnburg  not get attention from government of Surakarta. This invaluable  historical site is abandoned and neglected. The Vastnburg fort  current ownership is in the hands businessman who wants to build a hotel on the grounds of the historic fort.

Vastenburg fort is the Dutch fort that was established in 1745. In the Dutch colonial era, the castle which is only half a mile from the palace,  is the surveillance place for the king of Surakarta. Meanwhile, across the castle there are the Dutch governor at that Baron Van Imhoft. Vastenburg fort ramparts square shape, each end there is a protrusion of the room, surrounded by a moat as well as protection. At the front and rear doors are also built bridges, as a means to enter and exit the castle.

The fortress is located in the city of Solo, not far from City Hall, Bank Indonesia, Pasar Gede, Kraton Surakarta and the other building. While there is a building in which the activities of the military barracks. While in the middle there is a large field for preparation and military training facilities.

The Wall that was so  solid long time ago, now looks porous mossy and overgrown weeds. Some of the buildings once used as military activities, also gone. Protective moat, now are in poor, dirty conditions, full of trash. All around the castle and almost invisible, because it filled a wild trees and shrubs.

The observers of cultural heritage kept asking Solo city government to rescue this cultural heritage sites. Although it is not easy for Solo City Government is to deal with the owner of the castle, who wants to make the land as a commercial building or a five-star hotel, they must try their best to save this fort.

The existence of the fort Vastenburg is not just historical heritage, but also inherent in the city's history. As well as the castle fortress Vredeburg in Yogyakarta, Solo Vastenburg even must be remembered as a part of  Indonesia history.

Through this blog post I really want to inspire our awareness to take care the existence of  this  historical  fort in the city of Surakarta. Anyone who had stopped to read this blog may want to contemplate for a moment after reading this, and then we could take a stand for the slightest act to keep the historic building sustainability Vastenburg fort in Solo. We must fight for it.

Radya Pustaka, The Oldest Museum in Indonesia

As  cultural city, Solo has the oldest museum in Indonesia. Radya Pustaka Museum is the first museum built in the Dutch East Indies colonial administration in 1890. It was  Kanjeng Adipati Sosroningrat  IV, Patih of King Pakoe Boewono IX and Pakoe Boewono X, who started to build the museum  on October 28, 1890

Beautiful Kris Collections

The location of  Radya Pustaka Museum is at Slamet Riyadi Street, housed in the Cultural Tourism complex of Sriwedari Park. In the museum's stored collections of ancient objects that have a high value of art and history, among other things,  Some of them are bronze and stone statues of Hindu and Buddhist era. Collection of ancient kris and a variety of traditional weapons, a set of gamelan, wayang kulit and wayang beber, a collection of ceramics and various other art items.

Radya Pustaka Museum

As the oldest museum in Indonesia Radya Pustaka also has a library which has a collection of books and knowledge of cultural history, art and traditions and literature both in Old Javanese and Dutch. No wonder the museum becames a place of reference cultural researchers from all over Indonesia, even from abroad who want to learn about the culture of Indonseia or specifically Javanese culture in the past.

Radya Museum Library has a collection consisting of various statues, indigenous heritage, shadow puppets and ancient books. Collection of ancient books that are sought that include the Wulang Reh  of Pakubuwono IV whose contents include instructions regarding government’s  administration and Serat Rama written by Yasadipura I, he is  Kraton Surakarta poet , that who tells about  the epic Ramayana in Indonesian version.

Unfortunately some cases have tarnished the reputation of this museum. Theft collections museum  a few years ago  involving employees of museum and top of Indonesian businessmen to make the museum is about to lose a very valuable collection. Five ancient statues are worth hundreds of millions of dollars finally can be found and returned to the museum.

It's to bad if you travel to Solo and not visit this interesting place.

Radya Museum Library is open Tuesday to Sunday 8:30 to 13:00 WIB.

Danar Hadi Museum, History of Batik in Java

Solo City is The Spirit of Java, a city that has a very strong Javanese culture. One the the proof  is the existence of the palace which still exists until this day. And of course because of it has a passion to preserve and keep the true Javanese culture. No wonder Solo now became one of  city of tourist  attraction in Central Java, both domestic and abroad. There are so many traveler who come to visit for witnessing the Javanese culture in Solo. 

Batik products is one form of Javanese art and culture which is also an attraction for Solo tourism. Solo has the famous traditional batik industrial centers, such as in Laweyan and Kauman Kampong.  It’is is famous for its traditional style patterns and also has spawned several important figures in the world batik. One of them is Mr. H. Santosa. He is one of the Solo batik entrepreneurs who managed to build and develop the batik industry with the trademark of  Hadi Danar .

One way to preserve batik is batik the founding of a museum located behind the House of Danar Hadi. Danar Hadi Batik Museum, which was inaugurated by President Megawati Soekarno Putri in 2000. It has thousands of ancient batik collection. Unfortunately during our a visit to the museum, we  were not allowed to take pictures. However Our curiosity about the history of batik will be answered at the museum Danar Hadi. There are many collections from different regions likes Lasem (Chiness influence),  Pekalongan, Yogyakarta Batik or even we can find batik from Netherlands and China in this museum

The history of  batik in Indoneseia, especially Java has ever been in bad time in the middle of the 19th century with the beginnings of the westernization of fashion. People to tend to modern clothing because the price is cheaper and easier to produce. Thanks God, because of UNESCO acknowledgement of batik as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009 batik  got its glory again. Since then, batik has received great attention from the world community, and it make Javanese fan of batik became proud with what they had.

This recognition means that batik product is original Indonesian product. It  broke down  the claims of some country about this product. For Javanes  batik is more than just a piece of cloth with intricate drawings. Creating batik needs not only skills but also considerable patience and concentration to fully control the flow of the wax in the canting, a copper vessel resembling the bowl of a pipe filled with melted wax. It is the reason why in past times Javanes who made batik will consider their activity as a form of meditation.