Intermediate Integrated Course Practicum

Name : Nurul Khasanah

Student Number : J1E015045

BRI Museum in Purwokerto

In this recent days, who is not familiar with Bank BRI? Bank Rakyat Indonesia
(BRI) is the largest bank in Indonesia which has assets in about 583 trillion rupiah (data
was taken on August 2013) and continues to grow today.

Bank BRI is the oldest bank which has a long history in Indonesia. It was
founded on December 16, 1895 by Raden Aria Wirjaatmadja, in the cool little town of
lush, Purwokerto, Central Java. This museum located on Jl. Sudirman No. 57,
Purwokerto. BRI Museum does not look like a museum building in general. The shape
of the building resembles a regular home building.

The items which is displayed are not too many. We can see the coins of the
money from Majapahit, banknotes Chinese, Japanese, Dutch era, the period of
independence, the legacy banking machines and relics belong to Raden Aria
Wirjaatmadja. Visitors are free from charge. They only have to fill in the guest book
which is provided there. Besides, there also guides who will show and explain to the
visitors all about the museum.

According to the story, in 1894, a Patih Banyumas whose name has been
familiar since my childhood through Warta BRI, Raden Aria Wirjaatmadja, party
invitations to attend the circumcision of a Master. In the midst of the party, he wondered
why a teacher can have a big and luxurious party. At that time, a lavish party marked by
the presence of the officials, the dishes are abundant and their Tayuban art that became
the epitome of luxury party in Banyumas society.

Further, he said, teacher salaries at that time were unlikely to be enough to

finance the party. Then, amid a party atmosphere tayuban, he asked where did the
teacher get enough money to fund the party. It was from moneylenders with high
interest rates, the debt repayment burden even beyond the ability of the teacher. Raden
Aria moved to provide assistance by providing low-interest loans to pay off the debt of
the Master. However, a lot of the native aristocracy had the same problem with the
Master. To help them, Raden Aria manage cash mosque into grants low interest loans.
The condition is then known by his boss Resident Assistant (E. Sieburgh) that prohibits
the use of cash in addition to the purposes of the mosque.

When he published an official letter to establish the first Rural Bank for natives.
On 16 December 1895 Hulp en Spaarbank der Inlandsce Bestuurs Ambtenaren (Bank
Owned employee assistance and saves pradja Praja Holder Natives) operates the first
time.

Before Indonesia became an independent country, many banks have sprung up

in Indonesia such as N.V. De Batakscche Bank in 1937 or Minangkabau Vereeniging in
1917, but did not develop. Only Prijajis Bank is evolving to become Bank Rakyat
Indonesia today. At the time of independence, it became the first bank owned by the
government under PP 1 1946.

Source : http://www.virustraveling.com/museum-bri-purwokerto-sejarah-berdirinya-
bank-di-indonesia/