The Artisan and Old Town Districts

In 1619, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) attacked Jayakarta (now Jakarta), destroyed the city, and renamed it Batavia. The VOC built a large fort (Batavia Castle), along with walls, residences for company staff, warehouses, and workshops.

The VOC established large workshops within the city’s walls, concentrating all trades needed for its operations and the city's expansion, including furniture production. This area became known as the artisan and slave districts.

One important group that worked in the artisan quarter were the Mardijkers, descendants of Portuguese-speaking Indian slaves brought to the archipelago by the VOC. The music of Keroncong originated with this group, and the community still speaks a creole language based on Portuguese to this day.