The building was formerly a town hall of Batavia (Netherlands: Stadhuis van Batavia), built in 1707-1712 by order of the Governor-General Joan van Hoorn. The building resembles the Palace of the Dam in Amsterdam, consisting of a main building with two wings on the East and West as well as a building used as a sanding Office, a courtroom, and the basement which was used as a prison. On March 30, 1974, the building was inaugurated as a Museum Fatahillah.
