Apparently Monas and Menteng have a 100-year age difference. This history is rarely discussed.

In Central Jakarta, just by walking a short distance, we can traverse two different chapters of history. The Monas area and its surroundings, known as Weltevreden during the Dutch colonial period, were established earlier in the early 1800s. 

Meanwhile, Menteng, with its modern urban planning and green parks, was born only a hundred years later.

That time difference was explained by the founder of SANA Kenal Kota, Abimantra Pradhana, when guiding a walking tour on Sabang Street, Central Jakarta, last Saturday. 

This street becomes a kind of imaginary line that separates Weltevreden from Menteng.

“So the difference between Weltevreden and Menteng is about 100 years. Weltevreden was built in 1800 when the VOC went bankrupt and then Governor General Daendels came. Meanwhile, Menteng was built in 1910,” said Abimantara.

Weltevreden itself began to develop during the time of the Dutch East Indies Governor General Herman Willem Daendels (1806–1811), a figure also known for his ambitious project, the Anyer-Panarukan Great Post Road.

A century later, Batavia grew rapidly. Tanjung Priok Port was opened, the economy was driven by the Ethical Policy, and the city's population surged from 75,000 to 150,000. It was to accommodate this population boom that the Menteng area was designed.

It was Dutch architect and artist P.A.J. Moojen who drew the initial map of Menteng in 1910. His concept was revolutionary: a modern garden city with extensive green spaces, artistic streets, and houses with spacious fenced yards.

“(The development of) Menteng had two phases, the first was built from 1910 to 1918 with a designer named Moojen. Because Moojen was an artist, he drew the city very artistically. He designed streets up to seven-way intersections and large garden plots which were then deemed inefficient by the Dutch,” explained Abimantara.

However, practical needs eventually changed the face of Menteng in the second phase of development from 1918 to 1930.

“Because too much space was wasted, so the second phase from 1918 to 1930 in the area of Taman Surapati or Bappenas is more structured, the parks are smaller and there is a canal as the boundary,” he added.

Menteng also marked a major transition in the architectural history of Jakarta. Before 1900, iconic buildings such as the National Museum and the Merdeka Palace were designed by military engineers in a uniform style.

Only in the early 20th century did a generation of Dutch-educated architects emerge, including Moojen, who brought a new color with the “New Indies” style.

“So at that time, the modern era began with the design called New Indies. Well, this is why Menteng became like a laboratory for architects at that time,” said Abimantara.

From Weltevreden, born under the command of Daendels, to Menteng, which became the arena for modern architects' experiments, both are witnesses to how Batavia, now known as Jakarta, was shaped layer by layer, from the colonial period to becoming the metropolitan city of today.(Antara)