Jakarta, MINA – Minister of Culture Fadli Zon continues efforts to repatriate a number of Indonesia’s historical artifacts from Germany. He said the repatriation mission would be the next step following the return of the “Java Man” fossils from the Netherlands.
“Earlier today, we held a meeting with Professor Ulrich Kozok, a manuscript expert from Germany,” Fadli said during the Handover Ceremony of Bung Hatta’s Black Cap Grant at the Proclamation Drafting Museum in Central Jakarta on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to repatriate Indonesia’s various historical objects. This initiative aims to restore national identity and enrich the nation’s cultural heritage.
As part of this commitment, the Ministry of Culture has established a repatriation team consisting of cultural heritage experts.
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“The repatriation process is already underway, with the most recent effort being the return of the Dubois Collection to Indonesia,” he explained.
Furthermore, Fadli emphasized that the repatriation of historical artifacts is among the government’s priority programs that must be pursued promptly. These items are an essential part of the nation’s identity and history that must be preserved for future generations.
In addition to repatriating collections from abroad, he also highlighted the need to improve the cataloging of museum collections across Indonesia. Museum data collection and conservation efforts, he said, are vital to the protection, preservation, and advancement of the national cultural ecosystem.
“Going forward, we hope regional museums will also be able to carry out conservation and properly catalog their collections, such as manuscripts and scripts, to ensure better organization, as this is also part of advancing our culture,” the minister added.
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Meanwhile, German cultural expert Ulrich Kozok expressed his support for the return of the Sisingamangaraja collection currently stored at the Museum aan de Stroom. He noted that manuscripts are among the most significant forms of cultural heritage.
In supporting Indonesia’s efforts to repatriate historical artifacts from Germany, Kozok said he is ready to provide full assistance, including coordinating with foreign museums.
“I have been in contact with several foreign museums that are willing to return their collections. I am also ready to help facilitate the process,” he said on Tuesday.
He expressed hope that the repatriation of historical artifacts to Indonesia would proceed smoothly and bring benefits to society. The initiative, he added, would strengthen cultural ties between nations and reaffirm Indonesia’s sovereignty over its historical heritage.[]
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