Historical Artifacts Go Up in Smoke

The fire that razed the Museum Bahari caused the loss of physical proof of the past glory of the archipelago’s spice trade.

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

The Maritime Museum in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, sustains fire damage after catching fire on Tuesday (16/1). The museum suspected the fire had been caused by an electrical short circuit.

The recent fire that razed the Maritime Museum in North Jakarta adds to the sad state in the capital of cultural heritage with extremely high historical value. The city administration needs to be more consistent in preserving old buildings. The present and the future depend on our learning from the past.

The windows with their thick frames were no longer in one piece. Giant wooden blocks that had served as the structural foundation had turned into blocks of coal. Everything was blackened and brittle. The fire that razed the Maritime Museum (Museum Bahari) on Tuesday (16/1) caused not only material damage, but also the loss of physical proof of the past glory of the archipelago’s spice trade.