The original name is Kustbatterij Op De Landtong Te Tjilatjap which means a fort building jutting out to sea in Cilacap. It indicates the location of Pendem Fort which is in the Turtle Bay area of Cilacap. The location is very strategic because it is close to the sea. Fort Pendem was built in stages over 18 years from 1861 to 1879. Fort Pendem was used by the Dutch until 1942, after which it was controlled by the Japanese until 1945. Fort Pendem was taken over by the Indonesian Army until 1965. After that the fort was abandoned which made almost the entire building buried in the ground. This is what the community later named Fort Pendem. However, in 1986 Fort Pendem began to be managed again until now it has become one of the tourist attractions in Cilacap Regency.
