The Story Behind Jonatan Michielsz’s Tombstone: A Wealthy Merchant from the Mardijkers

Jonatan Michielsz is known as one of the wealthiest members of the Mardijkers community in 18th-century Batavia. Most of his wealth came from edible bird’s nest production on his land and plantations in Citeureup, Bogor, which was highly sought after by the Chinese community as a delicacy.

This business elevated the Michiels family’s economic position. Consequently, the swiftlet bird was immortalized as a heraldic symbol on his tombstone, representing an important aspect of the family’s history.

However, the sculptor of Jonatan Michielsz’s tombstone at Museum Prasasti seems to have made an error in depicting the swiftlet. Not all types of swiftlets build nests using saliva, yet the carved bird appears to be carrying twigs for nest building (Heuken, 2000).

To trace the story behind this tombstone, the SEAMS team through #KoleksiKita interviewed Arthur James Michielsz, the 10th-generation descendant of the Michiels family, in Kampung Tugu, North Jakarta. This interview served as a primary source (provenance) in reviewing the origins of the tombstone, which is closely linked to the history of the Michiels family business.

Origins of the Mardijkers

The history of the Mardijkers cannot be separated from the fall of Portuguese power in Malacca in the 17th century. After the Dutch East India Company (VOC) captured Portuguese forts, some Portuguese captives were freed. This status of “free people” became known as Mardijkers, derived from the word merdeka (“free”).

Portuguese individuals with higher economic status were allowed to live inside the forts, while those from poorer backgrounds or brought as slaves were placed outside the city walls. The Dutch referred to this group as “Black Portuguese,” granting them freedom on the condition that they convert from their original faith to Dutch Protestantism. The term Mardijkers can thus be interpreted as “people who have been freed.”

By 1695, Mardijkers who had adopted the new faith built a church outside the city walls of Batavia, known as Portugeesche Buitenkerk (Portuguese Outer Church), today known as Gereja Sion.

Origins of Jonatan Michielsz and the Mardijkers

Museum Prasasti preserves many historic tombstones from the VOC colonial period, including the tombstone of Jonatan Michielsz, a Mardijker landowner in Citeureup during the 18th century. Besides being one of the wealthiest merchants in Batavia at the time, he was also a leader among the Mardijkers.

Jonatan Michielsz, a prominent figure of the wealthy Mardijkers community, was a descendant of Titus van Bengala (b. 1728), who took the baptismal name Titus Michielsz after converting in 1674 and married an Indian woman named Christian Martha Pieters (n.d.) (Taylor, 2009). Jonatan was the father of Augustin Michielsz, known as the last kapiten of the Mardijkers in the following generation.

Arthur Michielsz confirms:
"Jonatan Michielsz’s wealth began when he purchased swiftlet nests. When he managed it well, the business became an extraordinary source of income. That is why the swiftlet was used as a mark on his tombstone."

Originally, Jonatan Michielsz’s tombstone was located in the yard of the Portuguese Outer Church. However, his family later moved it to a cemetery in Tanah Abang, which is now Museum Prasasti (De Haan, 1922, Vol. 3).

Kampung Tugu and Its Living Heritage

Although the Mardijkers community no longer exists as a cohesive social group, their heritage can still be observed in Kampung Tugu, North Jakarta, notably through keroncong music, one of Indonesia’s best-known musical traditions.

Today, only a few direct Mardijker-descendant families remain in Kampung Tugu (Heuken, 2000). In addition to keroncong music, Kampung Tugu houses a small museum preserving antique collections and photographs of the Michiels family ancestors.

Digitizing Collection Data through Jakarta Digital Collections

This collection data will be accessible via the Jakarta Digital Collections (JDC) portal, set to launch in 2026. JDC is an initiative of SEAMS through #KoleksiKita, in collaboration with the DKI Jakarta Culture Office and 12 museums plus 1 gallery under its management, to provide public access to museum collections through digitization and cataloging.

This activity is supported by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), which is committed to supporting the preservation of historic buildings, archaeological and cultural sites, museum objects and collections, as well as traditional expressions such as language and music in partner countries.