Stadthuys
is the oldest and largest building surviving in Southeast
Asia from the early Dutch colonial era. Covering 49,200
square feet (including annexes), the building practically
forms its own streetscape. Groundbreaking for the
central portion of the building began in 1641, the
same year that the Dutch wrested control of Melaka
from the Portugese, who had ruled since 1511. Work
on the building continued for nearly twenty years
with laborers probably drawn mostly from the Portugese
population. The building served as the civic center
of the town, housing the Dutch governor and his numerous
aides.
The
center of Dutch Administration was Stadthuys until
1824, when the British took control of the town.
The subsequent British governors continued to favor
Stadthuys as a civic center. As late as 1979, the
Malaysian government used the building as the State
Governing Center. Since then, the building has been
converted into the Ethnography Museum. Although
the interior is now filled with museum exhibits,
it is still possible to view much of the interior
with its thick masonry walls
and heavy wooden beams.
