Taman Prasasti Museum

Why go

The cemetery began in 1795 and became a museum in 1977, preserving memorial stones as objects of history and craftsmanship. Their lettering and carved decoration reward close looking. Antique hearses and miniature regional graves widen the subject from individual memorials to the ways different communities mark death.

What to look for

• Some stones bear “HK”, marking their connection with the former Hollandsche Kerk.
• Carved gravestones form an outdoor collection of sculpture and inscriptions.
• Antique hearses and miniature graves extend the collection beyond memorial stones.

The full story

The memorials here preserve connections across different parts of old Batavia. Some gravestones came from the former Nieuwe Hollandsche Kerk, whose site is now occupied by the Wayang Museum in the Old Town. The letters “HK”, short for Hollandsche Kerk, identify that connection. Looking for the mark makes a small inscription into a link between two very different museums. The cemetery was established under Dutch colonial rule, initially serving an elite colonial population. Its memorial history also includes figures such as Olivia Mariamne Raffles and Indonesian activist Soe Hok Gie. Reading the names alongside the carved forms helps keep these stones connected to people rather than treating them only as decoration. The later museum brought together memorial objects and regional grave models, broadening a former burial ground into a collection about remembrance.

Useful to know

• Allow for an outdoor visit rather than expecting enclosed galleries throughout.
• Check the museum’s timetable before travelling specifically to see the collection.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.