Bandung, Gedung Sate

July 27, 1920, the Dutch East Indies government laid the foundation stone of development projects in Bandung Gedung Sate. Having completed four years later, it became one of the grandest buildings in the Netherlands East Indies and until now the most prominent symbol of the city of Bandung. Laying the first stone building carried out by Miss Johanna Catherina Coops, eldest daughter of the mayor of Bandung B. Coops, and Miss Petronella Roelofsen, representing the Governor-General of Batavia.


This building was designed architect Ir J. Berger from Landsgeboundienst, office building developments Netherlands government. to construct the building needed power to 2,000 workers. Among the thousands of workers, there are 150 residents Konghu or Cantonese Chinese, carpenters and skilled stone carvers in the country. Dutch architect, Dr. Hendrik Petrus Berlage, mention that Gedung Sate complex design along with the Central Office of Civil Government Agencies Dutch East Indies in Bandung is a masterpiece. While COOR Passchier and Jan Wittenberg, two Dutch architects who inventory the colonial buildings in Bandung, Gedung Sate mention as a stunning elegant monumental building, and has a unique architectural style, and gigantic.

Gedung Sate was actually only a small part, or approximately 5% of the "Complex of the Central Office of Civil Government Insatansi" Dutch East Indies that occupies the North Bandung area of ​​27,000 square meters. By residents of the past "Gedong Sate" named "Gedong Bebe" which later became more popular with "Gedung Sate" because at the top of the tower of the building there is a "skewer" with 6 water guava fruit-shaped ornaments.

What is now known as Gedung Sate in the first building will serve as the Central Government or Gouvernments Bedrijven (GB) who wheelbase straight into the middle of Mount Tangkuban Perahu.
Called Gouvernments Bedrijven since its humble beginnings building will serve as the center of the Dutch East Indies colonial administration as well as the office of Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. Construction of the building is made possible after the Dutch government took the decision to move the center of the Netherlands East Indies from Batavia to Bandung.

The decision to make Bandung as the capital of the Dutch East Indies government was taken in 1916. Choice was taken by Koninkelijk der Nederlanden (Netherlands) who has conducted various studies in other areas, particularly in Java. The study was prompted by the results of research conducted by HF Tillema, an environmental health expert, who found that that the towns on the northern coast of Java island less healthy state. Fueled by the marsh vulnerable disease. Hot and humid weather, as a result of difficult breathing, sweating, makes the body tired.

Options also fell into the Bandung which is geographically located in the mountains with the cool air and more fresh. The decision was taken in the reign of Governor-General van Limburg Stirum.

In place of this reason, in the first months of independence, there was heavy fighting between the Republicans who want to have preserved this building from the advancing Allied troops, reinforced by Gurkha soldiers. Not only that Gedung Sate was once also used as a center of government during the reign of the State Pasundan RIS.

Gedung Sate is not only a proof of authenticity of the history of the city of Bandung in the arena of colonial life. Sate building had also become the locus where independence is celebrated with patriotic at the same time there also has entrenched a government which became the idea of ​​federalism in Gedung Sate Indonesia.Jika today not only as the office of Governor of West Java, but also a symbol of the city of Bandung, Gedung Sate receive a special status that it has become entitled. This is Indonesia which has a lot of very interesting sights to visit, not just that in Indonesia there are also lots of museums, and other historical relics.