The building was originally located in the Weltevreden neighborhood, a parcel of land acquired by Cornelis Chastelein on 6 March 1697 on the east side of the bovenstad (the Upper Town) in what is now the area to the east of Merdeka Square.
It was built in 1830 as a residence for Prince (Hertog) Bernhard van Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1792-1862), a German-born Dutch Royal Army Commander.
It was designed in a Neoclassical Empire Style on the east bank of the Ciliwung.
The adjacent park and street Hertogspark (also called Jalan Pejambon) was named after him.

In 1918, the building housed the Volksraad of the Dutch East Indies, the first national-level council which included native Indonesian representation.
It received the name Volksraadgebouw or Building of the Volksraad).

With the dissolution of the Volksraad during the Japanese occupation in 1942, the building was re-purposed for the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (Indonesian Badan Penyelidik Usaha-usaha Persiapan Kemerdekaan  or Dokuritsu Zyunbi Tyoosakai).

After the independence period, in early 1950, the building was transferred to the State Department, and then to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It was renamed Gedung Pancasila or Pancasila Building on June 1, 1964.
During the 1960s, the building was used to educate prospective diplomats.
Today, the building is mainly used for important ceremonies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The building was originally located in the Weltevreden neighborhood, a parcel of land acquired by Cornelis Chastelein on 6 March 1697 on the east side of the bovenstad (the Upper Town) in what is now the area to the east of Merdeka Square. It was built in 1830 as a residence for Prince (Hertog) Bernhard van Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1792-1862), a German-born Dutch Royal Army Commander. It was designed in a Neoclassical Empire Style on the east bank of the Ciliwung. The adjacent park and street Hertogspark (also called Jalan Pejambon) was named after him. 
In 1918, the building housed the Volksraad of the Dutch East Indies, the first national-level council which included native Indonesian representation. It received the name Volksraadgebouw or Building of the Volksraad). 
With the dissolution of the Volksraad during the Japanese occupation in 1942, the building was re-purposed for the Investigating Committee for Preparatory Work for Independence (Indonesian Badan Penyelidik Usaha-usaha Persiapan Kemerdekaan  or Dokuritsu Zyunbi Tyoosakai).
After the independence period, in early 1950, the building was transferred to the State Department, and then to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was renamed Gedung Pancasila or Pancasila Building on June 1, 1964. During the 1960s, the building was used to educate prospective diplomats. Today, the building is mainly used for important ceremonies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pancasila Building