January 27, 2026 | 10:35 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Solo City is moving to repatriate various local historical artifacts stored in the Netherlands, as part of the efforts to preserve history and strengthen local cultural identity.
"We have sent a letter of request to collectors in the Netherlands so the artifacts that originally belonged to Surakarta (Solo) can be returned," said Solo Mayor Respati Ardi after receiving a visit from the Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia, Marc Gerritsen, at his official residence on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
Types of Artifacts
Solo City is looking to repatriate ancient manuscripts, statues, a set of gamelan musical instruments, tosan aji (traditional Javanese weapons), and various types of wayang (traditional Javanese puppets) with high historical value for the city.
Respati explained that these artifacts will later be stored in Indonesia's oldest museum, Radya Pustaka Museum. This museum is considered appropriate to store the artifacts and educate about history, as well as to complement local collections that already exist, such as Canthik Rajamala, various traditional weapons, and other cultural equipment representing the historical journey and culture of Solo.
Collaboration with the Netherlands
The meeting with the Dutch Ambassador was a momentum to strengthen the cooperation between Solo and the Netherlands, especially in the field of culture and history. According to him, good historical management can attract tourists and educate the young generation about the city's history.
"We have a similar view on the history of Solo. Our relationship with the Netherlands has been long established, and we are currently designing eight-week short course partnership focusing on history, national archives, and historical archives," said Respati.
Meanwhile, Marc Gerritsen expressed his country's commitment to support the preservation of the history and culture of Solo, adding that Solo and Netherlands' history dates back centuries ago with many important historical records.
Gerritsen welcomed Solo City's venture to access the artifacts and valuable information about the city's history, adding that the meeting led to more cooperation opportunities in the future.
Read: Prabowo Says Dutch King Will Return 30,000 Indonesian Artifacts
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