Gombong is a town in Kebumen Regency, in the southern part of Central Java, a province in Indonesia. The town has 50,300 inhabitants at the 2020 Census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. while the estimate as at mid 2024 was 50,950.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Kebumen Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3305) The total land area is . Local people speak Banyumasan, a dialect of Javanese.
In 1964, construction of the Catholic Church of St. Michael Parish was completed. In 1996, the Wonokriyo market was built, becoming the biggest one in the region. A few dinosaur statues are located around the town: at the entrance of Fort Van der Wijck, at Tirta Manggala Swimming Pools and at Sempor Reservoir. Not far from the town, the prayer house Geraja Ayam, also known as the chicken church, is built.
Fort Van der Wijck, which was built in the early 19th century by General Johannes Van den Bosch, is located in the northern part of the town. The military compound served to train soldiers for later service in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. Suharto, the second President of Indonesia, began his service here on 1 June 1940 prior to the Japanese occupation). The fort was used by the Indonesian Armed Forces until 2000. Since then the compound has been developed as a recreational site.
Administrative villages Gombong consists of 14 villages (comprising two urban kelurahan - Gombong and Wonokriyo - and twelve rural desa): Banjarsari Gombong Kalitengah Kedungpuji Kemukus Klopogodo Panjangsari Patemon Semanding Semondo Sidayu Wero Wonokriyo Wonosigro
Notable people Maus Gatsonides (1911–1998), Dutch rally driver and inventor of the speed camera. Kasino Hadiwibowo (1950–1997), Indonesian comedian and member of Warkop group. Willem Nijholt (1934–2023), Dutch actor.
References
External links
Former Dutch fort Van Der Wijck