The Hermeneutic of ‘De Amsterdamse Poort te Batavia’: Re-reading the spirit of the nation through historical architecture

Abstract

Hermeneutic is a science of understanding a focal point of a cultural system; which in the field of history is known as the spirit of the people. The spirit transforms into objects – such as art-displaying the object maker’s thoughts or state of mind. This research began as an attempt to apply hermeneutic onto historical architecture object; on the understanding that architecture is an example of the production of art. The chosen object was the Amsterdam Gate of Batavia (Dutch: de Amsterdamse Poort te Batavia) built in mid-18th century in VOC-era Jakarta. The gate underwent several transformations before it was demolished in the 1950s, yet records of its existence; including photographs, lithographs, and journals are still widely accessible today. The historical events including those directly related to the transformations as well as general situations of the town and the ruling government are analysed. The research revealed a probable relation between the physical condition of the architecture and the socio-political situation of the nation, written in simple phrases to assist readers in envisioning the state of mind behind the concretized built environment.