ISTANA GEBANG Istana Gebang The first president of Indonesia, Soekarno, was raised in Blitar, East Java. He lived with his family in a house in Blitar City. Before it was bought by Soekarno’s father, Soekemi Sosrodihardjo, this house was owned by a Dutch, CH. Portier, who worked for the train company. This house was built in the 19th century. Soekarno and his family lived here from 1917-1919 when Soekarno was 16 or 18. This house was owned by Soekarno’s family until 2012, and it was handed over to the Blitar government and became a history museum. The house is commonly known as Istana Gebang. “Istana Gebang” is derived from the type of palm tree known as “gebangan” or “gebang palm” that is commonly found in the region around Blitar. Istana Gebang is located at Sultan Agung Street, No. 27-59, Sananwetan, Blitar, East Java. In Istana Gebang there are many buildings in there, th...