Op vrijdag 9 oktober heeft minister Rianne Letschert (Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap) meegedeeld dat Nederland 20 eeuwenoude culture objecten zou teruggeven aan Indonesië. Het gaat om objecten zoals de diamant van Banjarmasin, een traditioneel zwaard uit Atjeh, een handgeschreven koran, zes zeventiende-eeuwse Javaanse rituele rollen en grafstenen met Arabische kalligrafie. Ze zijn in de koloniale tijd door roof of onder dwang verkregen en daarna in Nederlandse collecties beland. Onderstaande toespraak hield minister Letschert in het Indonesia House in Amsterdam, in het bijzijn van onder anderen de Indonesische minister van Cultuur, Fadli Zon. De toespraak is alleen in het Engels beschikbaar.
On Friday 9 October, Minister Rianne Letschert (Education, Culture and Science) announced that the Netherlands will return 20 centuries-old cultural objects to Indonesia. They include the Banjarmasin diamond, a traditional sword from Aceh, a handwritten Quran, six seventeenth-century Javanese ritual scrolls and gravestones with Arabic calligraphy. They were acquired through looting or under duress during the colonial era and later ended up in Dutch collections. Minister Letschert delivered the speech below at Indonesia House in Amsterdam, in the presence of, among others, the Indonesian Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon. The speech is available in English only.
Your Excellency, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, distinguished guests,
It is a great honour for me to be here today, in this little piece of Indonesia in Amsterdam.
And it is a particular honour to be involved, for the first time as Minister, in the return of cultural artefacts to Indonesia.
Today, we are returning twenty objects that came into Dutch collections unjustly during the colonial period.
Indonesia asked the Netherlands to return these objects. Until now, they have been part of the collections of the Rijksmuseum and the Wereldmuseum.
We have decided to return them, because we believe that, first and foremost, these objects should never have come to the Netherlands in the first place.
And now that we have the opportunity to address the wrongs of looting and involuntary loss of possession during the colonial period, we want to act on that conviction wholeheartedly.
In doing so, I am following the advice of the Colonial Collections Committee, chaired by Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You. The recommendations are based on extensive provenance research and are built on the strong and productive partnership with Tim Repatriasi, chaired by Mr. Ismunandar.
Reading the Committee’s findings, one is struck by the coldness with which colonial rulers took these objects away. Such as a sword, manuscripts and a royal diamond.
They were not taken by chance. One injustice often followed another: when power was taken away, so were valuable possessions and, with them, the dignity of their owners. The loss of power and the loss of possessions were part of the same colonial pattern.
And there was little respect for what these objects meant to the communities in Indonesia. Take the Wayang Beber, for example. It is far more than a work of art. It is a sacred heirloom of profound spiritual significance. Such an object was never meant to leave its community.
I also recognise that the Indonesian government has been asking for the return of cultural objects for many years, and on many occasions. For too long, those requests went unheard.
Fortunately, our understanding of colonial heritage has changed. And with it, Dutch policy. Today, that policy is guided by a simple but fundamental principle:
We return what does not belong to us.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Wereldmuseum, the Rijksmuseum, Naturalis, the Colonial Collections Committee, Tim Repatriasi and all Indonesian and Dutch experts that contributed to this transfer.
Your commitment to this process has been truly invaluable.
Today, we are also signing the agreement for the transfer of the Dubois Collection.
In September 2025, my predecessor presented you with a Letter of Intent, Minister Fadli Zon, announcing the return of this extensive collection from Naturalis Biodiversity Center to Indonesia. Many of you were there.
Four important objects have already been transferred. The return of the rest of the enormous collection – the final count is that it concerns 30,190 registered objects – has been carefully prepared and will begin shortly.
Distinguished guests,
Returning these objects cannot undo what happened in the past. But it can help us build the relationship we want for the future.
That relationship is already taking shape. Indonesian institutions are working closely with the Wereldmuseum, the Rijksmuseum and Naturalis. The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded funding for research into collections with a colonial context. This includes making Indonesian sculptures from the Hindu-Buddhist period in Dutch museums available online, and research into the colonial frameworks of knowledge that still shape how we understand cultural objects and their histories.
These are first steps, but they show what is possible when we work together as equals.
Indonesia is a true centre of culture, with a rich heritage that continues to inspire people far beyond its borders. That is also what this Indonesia House stands for. It is therefore a privilege to share this moment with you today.
I believe that the return of these objects to Indonesia will bring our two countries even closer together.
Let us continue this work together, as partners and as friends.
Thank you.