Achmad Soebardjo

Ahmad Soebardjo
File:Achmad soebardjo.jpg
1st Foreign Minister of Indonesia
In office 2 September 1945 – 14 November 1945
President	Soekarno
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Sutan Syahrir
In office 4 August 1951 – 20 December 1952
President	Soekarno
Preceded by	Mohammad Roem
Succeeded by	Wilopo
Personal details
Born	Raden Ahmad Soebardjo Djojoadisoerjo (1896-03-23)23 March 1896 Karawang, West Java, Dutch East Indies
Died	Jakarta, Indonesia
Nationality	Indonesia
Alma mater	Leiden University, Netherlands
Profession	Diplomat
Religion	Islam

Raden Ahmad Soebardjo Djojoadisoerjo (Karawang Regency, West Java, 23 March 1896 – 15 December 1978) was a diplomat, one of Indonesia's founding fathers, and an Indonesian national hero. He was the first Foreign Minister of Indonesia. In 1933, he received the degree Meester in de Rechten from Leiden University, Netherlands.

Early life

Ahmad Soebardjo was born in Teluk Jambe, Karawang Regency, West Java, on 23 March 1896. His father's name was Teuku Muhammad Yusuf, an Acehnese patrician from Pidie. His paternal grandfather was an ulama and his father was the chief of police in Teluk Jambe, Karawang. His mother's name was Wardinah. She was of Javanese-Buginese descent, and was daughter from Camat in Telukagung, Cirebon.

Initially, his father gave him the name Teuku Abdul Manaf, but his mother gave him the name Ahmad Subardjo. Djojoadisoerjo was added by himself after he was arrested and imprisoned at Ponorogo Prison because of his involvement with the "July 3, 1946 Incident".

He studied at Hogere Burger School, Jakarta in 1917. He continued to Leiden University, Netherlands and obtained the degree Meester in de Rechten title in the field of law in 1933.

Struggle

As a student, he was active in the fight for Indonesian independence through several organizations such as Jong Java and the Indonesian Students Association in the Netherlands, the Perhimpoenan Indonesia. In February 1927, Soebardjo, Mohammad Hatta, and three other students represented Indonesia at the conferences of the League against Imperialism in Brussels and later in Germany. At the founding congress in Brussels, Soebardjo and the others met Jawaharlal Nehru and others nationalist leaders from Asia and Africa. Soebardjo even spent a couple of months in Berlin and Moscow working for the International Secretariat of the League against Imperialism. Upon return to Indonesia, he became an active member of BPUPKI.

On 17 August 1945, Soebardjo was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Presidential Cabinet, Indonesia's first cabinet, and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs once again from 1951 to 1952 in Sukiman's Cabinet. In addition, he also became the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesian in Switzerland between the years 1957 and 1961.

Death

Soebardjo died at the age of 82 at Pertamina Hospital, Kebayoran Baru, because of flu complications. He was buried at his vacation home in Cipayung, Bogor. In 2009 the government honoured him as a National Hero.

References

Political offices
Preceded by N/A	Foreign Minister of Indonesia 1945	Succeeded by Sutan Sjahrir
Preceded by Mohammad Roem	Foreign Minister of Indonesia 1951–1952	Succeeded by Wilopo