The Museum of The Great General Sudirman is located in Bintaran Wetan 3 Street Yogyakarta. This museum was the official residence of the general Sudirman in the era of Indonesian Indepence where he was living for 3 years. Even so the museum that was built in 1890 was also used as the official residence of Mr.Wijnchenk, a finance officer of Pura Pakualam VII. During the Japanese colonial, this building was vacated and all the furiture was being consficated. After Indonesian Independece, this museum building was used as military headquarter called ‘Tukul”, the battalion of Lieutenant Colonel Soeharto. Since December 18th 1945 to December 19th 1948 this museum building was officially occupied by the general Sudirman after his inauguration as The Great Commander of Tentara Keamanan Rakyat.
During the independence war to fight against the dutch military aggression II, this building was used as the headquarters of Informatie voor Gehemen Brigade T of the dutch army. After the state recognition on December 27th 1949 this building was officially functioned as headquarter of Yogyakarta city military command. Afterward this building was used as the dormitory of infantry regiment XIII and the disabilities people. Since June 17th 1968 to August 30th 1982 this building is used as the Armed Forced Museum.
The inauguration of Sasmitaloka Pangsar of The General Sudirman Museum was done by The General Chief of TNI or Indonesian National Armed Forced namely Poniman on August 30th 1982. The word sasmita derived from Javanese language means “reminder”, “remember” and the word loka means “place”. So that “Sasmitaloka Panglima Besar Jendral Sudirman” means a place to remember the devotion, the immolation, and the struggle of The Great General Sudirman.
Sudirman is the Indonesian national hero figure who was struggling in defending Indonesian Independence until his death. Sudirman was born on Monday, January 24th 1916 in Dukuh Rembang, Bantarbarang, and Purbalingga. His fight to be a general was starting when he joined on military education in the Center Of Commisioned Officer PETA Java Boei Giyugun Kanbu Renseitai, Bogor, as a Daincho (Danyon) where he could be a great commander of TKR in another time.
The climax of his fight was happened in Dutch Military Aggression II where Yogyakarya, the capital of Indonesia at that time was attacked by the ducth army. The General Sudirman did a war strategy that’s still really popular thus far namely guerilla warefare that could make the ducth army hard to chase General Sudirman.
After the promotion of the General Sudirman becoming The Great General, the history service of the armed forced reinaugurated this museum. So this museum was under the military armed forced and called as The Museum of The Great General Sudirman. Thus far, this museum building consists of the main building, the right the left, and the back wing. This museum building becomes a heritage.
The museum of the great general Sudirman has many colections up to 596 pieces collection. They are displayed in 14 museum gallery where 6 galleries are in the main building of this museum and other galleries are in the right, left, and back wing of this building. The main building which was the residence of the great general Sudirman is laid out according to the previous lay out of Sudirman residence.
The main collection of this museum is the stretcher used during Guerilla War of The Great General Sudirman and hisguards from Semanu towards Bedoyo (GunungKidul) on December 22nd 1948. Before reaching Semanu from Playen he did his guerilla by using dokar or a cart drowned by his guards.
Once they arrived in Bedoyo, the local people prepared already for him a stretcher that used to continue his guerilla war to get to Pracimantoro. This stretcher was left in the house of Sumoharjo (Bedoyo), and in 1980 it is given to The Central Museum Of Indonesian Armed Forced as museum collection.
The Museum of The Great General Sudirman is opened on Monday to Sunday at 08.00 – 15.00. This museum would be closed on National holiday but it could still be opened by reservation. There is no entrance ticket of this museum, so the visitor can get to this museum freely.
