There were two main squares in
Weltevreden:
Buffelsveld and
Paradeplaats. The squares took shape during the governorship of
Daendels in early 19th century. The squares were military in character: the
Paradeplaats ("Parade Ground") was the main parade and the ceremonial square. The
Buffelsveld ("Buffalo Field") was renamed
Champ de Mars due to French influence and was mainly used as a military exercise field. In 1828, the Waterloo Monument was erected to commemorate the defeat of
Napoleon at the
battle of Waterloo. The monument was a tall white column topped with a statue of a lion. The square was subsequently renamed to
Waterlooplein, a name that would only be changed following the proclamation of the Indonesian independence in 1945. Because of the lion statue on the monument, the lion is also locally known as the Leeuwinplaats ("Lioness Square"). The simple-shaped monument with its relatively small-sized statue of lion was frequently ridiculed by the locals of Batavia, some people claiming that the lion looked more like a poodle. As part of the affluent neighborhood of Weltevreden, the Waterlooplein is a fashionable place in Batavia's Upper Town. Once a week, a military orchestra was played in public. People from the upper rank of the society paraded around the square with their horse-drawn carriages. Governor General
Herman Willem Daendels originally intended to have the government centralized in Waterloo Square and had a palace built there. However the plan wasn't carried out by his predecessor and the construction was delayed and the mansion of van Braam in Rijswijk became the residence of the governor-general. Daendels Palace was later completed in 1828 to become the department of finance building. Hotel van den Gouverneur-Generaal (Hotel of the Governor-General) became the official name of the van Braam mansion. Daendels — known as an avid
Francophile — built a new governor general palace in smaller version
Chateau de Versailles or more precisely the French
Empire style in Batavia, known as
Witte Huis (White House) is often referred to
Groote Huis (Big House). It is now Indonesia's Ministry of Finance office on the east side of Lapangan Banteng (
Waterlooplein). He also renamed
Buffelsveld (buffalo field) to
Champs de Mars (today
Merdeka Square). Daendels' rule oversaw the complete adoption of
Continental Law into the colonial Dutch East Indies law system, retained even until today in Indonesian legal system. Eventually the palace became too cramped and a new palace was planned in 1869. The new palace was completed in 1873 facing
Koningsplein (King's Square). It was known as
Koningsplein Palace, part of the
Rijswijk, Indonesia compound.
Post-independence After the Revolution and the Independence of Indonesia 1945-1949, the Waterlooplein square was renamed by Sukarno as "Lapangan Banteng" which translates as "Buffalo's field" in Indonesian. Previously the Waterlooplein is also popularly known as Lion's field, after the Lion column of Waterloo memorial which once stood in the center of the field. Since the lion symbolized Dutch colonialism, Sukarno renamed the field as
Lapangan Banteng after the bull or buffalo, native to the country's ricefields, which symbolizes the newly independent Republic, the people and the
Indonesian National Revolution (1945-49). Thus actually was a return to a native translation of the old name of the square,
Buffelsveld, in the
Indonesian language. By 1960s the square was also part of Sukarno's national building project. The
West Irian Liberation Monument, located in the center of the square, was completed in 1963. Colonial monuments and memorials were demolished to make way for the new Republic's projects. Lion column, Coen's statues, and several memorials surrounding the fields were demolished. Sukarno also envisioned a National Mosque and a new grand National Hotel to be constructed around the square, which today corresponds to the Istiqlal Mosque and the Borobudur Hotel. Between 1970s to 1980s the square was transformed as a city's bus terminal which served Central Jakarta area. The square was transformed back as an open space that contains sport facilities, park and garden in late 1980s. Flona Jakarta is a flora-and-fauna exhibition, held annually in August at Lapangan Banteng Park, featuring flowers, plant nurseries, and pets. The
Jakarta Fair is held annually from mid-June to mid-July to celebrate the anniversary of the city and is largely centred on a trade fair. However, this month-long fair also features entertainment, including arts and music performances by local musicians. The statue of Irian Barat Liberation monument was then featured in a 2015 Hollywood film
Blackhat (film). ==2018 Revitalization==