At Malacca, the old Dutch colony of Malaysia's historic city, stands the grand and majestic Stadthuys.
This historical edifice dominates Malacca's renowned Dutch Square, or also known as the Red Square because of the crimson coloured old buildings there. Also located at the Square is Christ Church, the former Dutch Reformed Church of Malacca, where the pious Dutch people of the town had long before often congregated.
It is said that the Stadthuys is probably the oldest remaining Dutch colonial building left in Southeast Asia. However, the history of the Stadthuys remains somewhat of a mystery. Records of its construction have now either been lost in time or perhaps still buried in some forgotten archive, yet to be discovered. All that is known about the age of the building is that it was built shortly after Malacca was captured by the Dutch
Malacca came under Portuguese control by capturing the famous Malay trade emporium and ousting its sultan in 1511. Thereafter, the Iberians controlled the trade route in the Straits, much to the annoyance of the Dutch whose trade strength had grown tremendously in the region by the 17th century. Finally, an all-out attack for the capture of Malacca was ordered by Governor-general Antonio van Diemen and his council at Batavia.
The Dutch attack on Portuguese Malacca began in June 1640 with a large number of sails and troops. Fierce fighting erupted as the fort was bombarded by Dutch ships but were replied with the heavy guns of the Portuguese. Dutch and German VOC troops came ashore and pushed the defenders into the confines of their fortress.
Finally, both sides settled down to a long siege as they constantly harassed each other with repeated bombardments. The prolonged siege resulted in the spread of disease, both among the besiegers and the besieged. It was reported that more troops were killed by illness then by the hand of the enemy. Approximately 1,500 Hollanders perished, including 3 successive commanders and the whole of the secret council. However, Malacca finally fell to the hands of the Dutch on 14th January 1641.
When the dust of conflict settled and the Dutch had time to assess their newly acquired possession, they were alarmed to discover that little of the town had survived their relentless bombardments. "It was like the destruction of Jerusalem" they reported to their superiors in Amsterdam. So, the Dutch set about to rebuild Malacca from the ashes of its destruction.
The strong walls of the fort were repaired and defenses were further strengthened. Administrative buildings, commercial buildings, warehouses and private dwellings were built in the town and Asian traders were enticed to return to Malacca.
The first governor appointed to Malacca was Jan van Twist and the Dutch began building the Stadthuys to serve as the residency for the new governor as well as an administration centre and town hall. The Stadthuys was raised on the very same spot where the Portuguese governor’s house had been, which was too badly damaged to be of any use to the Dutch. Its construction was carried out by skilled Javanese and Chinese craftsmen.
The Stadthuys of Malacca is a reproduction of the former Stadhuis (town hall) of the Frisian town of Hoorn in the Netherlands. However, the former Stadhuis of Hoorn only existed from 1420 until 1796. Hoorn's former Stadhuis was replaced in 1796 by a building that is now known as het oude stadhuis (the old town hall), which is still found there. However, Hoorn's het oude stadhuis was in use until 1977 and at this moment the city hall of Hoorn is a modern building.
Therefore, anybody who wishes to see what the former Stadhuis of Hoorn looked like in the 15th to 18th centuries, only the Stadthuys of Malacca can give an excellent representation of the now extinct Frisian building.
In its heydays, the Stadthuys was situated within the walls of Malacca fort and located opposite the northern gateway into the fortified town, across the river. The fort itself encompassed a considerable area surrounding the hill of St. Paul’s, which accommodated offices and warehouses for the VOC and all the amenities needed by its colony. The fort walls no longer exist today thanks to the folly and vandalism of the British who maliciously ordered its destruction while safeguarding Dutch possessions in Asia from the French, during the Napoleonic wars.