Netherlands returns over 280 historical artifacts to Indonesia

By Merve Berker

The Netherlands has announced on Friday that it will return a total of 288 historical artifacts and cultural objects illegally brought from Indonesia during the colonial period.

The governmental office said in a statement that the artifacts and cultural objects from the National Collection will be returned on Friday upon the request of Indonesia.

"The artifacts will be officially returned to Indonesia on 20 September at the Wereldmuseum in Amsterdam, in the presence of the director-general for culture of Indonesia, Hilmar Farid, and the Indonesian Repatriation Committee," the statement noted.

"These objects were wrongfully taken to the Netherlands during the colonial period and are of cultural interest to Indonesia," the statement said.

Among those returned were four Hindu-Buddhist sculptures brought to the Netherlands from Java in the first half of the 19th century, it added.

The other 284 objects include weapons, coins, jewelry, and textiles which were brought to the Netherlands from South Bali in 1906 after the Dutch colonial conquest of the Indonesian islands.

The Colonial Collections Committee investigates the origins of cultural artifacts brought to the Netherlands from other countries and makes recommendations to return them in accordance with the national policy on colonial collections.

The Netherlands, following a committee's recommendation, is returning smuggled historical artifacts for the second time, having previously repatriated artifacts to Indonesia and Sri Lanka in the summer of 2023.