Fortress Van Der Wijck

News Session - Fortress Van Der Wijck Not only the Dutch soldiers who have lived in Fort Van Der Wijck. Great General Soeharto, the New Order ruler had even spent his life in the castle sheet located in the village of Sedayu, District Gombong, Kebumen, Central Java (Central Java) when a member of the Colonial Army.

Sturdy fortress that is now painted red that has been changing its function. Since the time the war was built around 1825-1830 Prince Diponegoro, Fort Van Der Wijck used as a defense. However, there are some experts who believe that the fort was not a fortress, but as a fortress logistics and Puppilen School or military candidate school. To be sure there is no historical record exactly to what the fort functioned.

actually built in the early 19th century or around 1820's, spreading along the Diponegoro revolt. This rebellion was very inconvenient because Diponegoro Dutch colonial government supported some elite figures in the Southern part of Java. Thus the last Dutch stronghold tactics stelsel is controlled areas immediately built the fort.

People who initiated the founding of this fort was the governor-general Van den Bosch. The goal is clear as a defense (and attack) in the South Kedu residency. In those days, many of the fort that was built with forced labor system (forced labor) because there are rules that residents must pay taxes in the form of labor.

Of course this makes us more and more people suffer much less before the governor-general had a similar project that is Deandels highway heading (Anyer - Penarukan, along ca. 1,000 km), also with forced labor. Judging from the shape of the building, the development is contemporary with the fort Willem (Ambarawa) and Prins of Orange (Semarang - now destroyed).

At the beginning of its establishment, the fortress with walls 10 m high, it was named Fort Cochius (Fort Cochius). His name was taken from one military officer Netherlands (Frans David Cochius) ever assigned Bagelen (one residency region Kedu).

Van der Wijck name, listed on the front of the entrance, was one of the Dutch military officer who had been a commander at the fort. Reputation van der Wijck is quite brilliant because one of his services is to silence the fighters in Aceh, of course, with a cruel manner. In the Japanese era, the fort was used as a barracks and training ground fighters PETA.

Viewed from the physical, Fort Area of 3606.625 m2. Fortress under the 3606.625 m2. Castle Height 9.67 m, 3.33 m. mined chimney there were 16 barracks with the size of each 7.5 x 11.32 m has been undergoing renovation which is pretty good. Unfortunately, this lack of attention to renovation historic building conservation principles to remember this building as one of potential cultural heritage (cultural heritage).