Jakarta Marks 499th Anniversary, Recalling Fatahillah's Conquest and Coen's Destruction

Jakarta marked its 499th anniversary on June 22, 2026, standing on the cusp of its 500th year. However, the city's official birthday celebration did not begin until 1956, initiated by a special session of the DPRD (Regional People's Representative Council).

Prior to 1956, the exact date of Jakarta's founding was unknown. In an effort to determine this, the Mayor of Jakarta Raya, Sudiro, convened a group of historians in 1955. Among them were Mr. Mohammad Yamin, senior journalist Sudarjo Tjokrosisworo, and Mr. Dr. Sukanto. Sudiro tasked them with researching the founding of Jakarta, specifically referring to the city established by Fatahillah over the ruins of a Portuguese fort, not the Batavia founded by Jan Pieterzoon Coen.

Historical records point to 1527 as the year of Fatahillah's conquest. However, the specific month and day remained elusive until Mr. Dr. Sukanto, then head of the National Archives, conducted extensive research over several months. His findings concluded that June 22, 1527, was the closest date to Fatahillah's successful defeat of the Portuguese in Jakarta Bay. This date was formally proposed by Sudiro to the DPRD plenary session on June 22, 1956, and subsequently adopted as the city's official anniversary.

The historical narrative also recounts the fall of Jayakarta, founded by Fatahillah, to the Dutch less than a century later in 1619. Albrecht Schmedlopp, a German apothecary in the service of the VOC and an eyewitness, documented J.P. Coen's ruthless destruction of Jayakarta. Schmedlopp's account, written in a book titled "What Happened in Jacatra," notes that the Javanese, followers of Prince Jayakarta, desired peace, but General Coen disregarded their wishes. Schmedlopp described how VOC forces attacked the city and its palace on the morning of May 14, 1619, breaching the gates and taking control.