Dutch Museums Return Artifacts to Indonesia

News item | 12-10-2026 | 05:13

At Indonesia's request, the Netherlands has returned 20 cultural objects that were wrongfully taken to the Netherlands during the colonial period.

Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Rianne Letschert and Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon signed the official handover document, marking an important step in Dutch-Indonesian cooperation on restitution.

The return shows how institutions and governments can work together to address colonial-era injustices and rebuild trust through dialogue and shared responsibility.

Read the full announcement here.