Fadli Zon Encourages Stronger Cultural Diplomacy Through Papua Museum in Germany

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia's Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, has encouraged the strengthening of Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy through the transfer of ownership of the Papua Museum in Gelnhausen, Germany. It has long been managed by German cultural observer and Indonesian culture enthusiast Werner Weiglein.

During a meeting at the Ministry of Culture office in Jakarta on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Fadli received Werner Weiglein to discuss plans for transferring the management of the Papua Museum to the Indonesian government.

“This step is important to strengthen Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy and promotion at the international level,” Fadli said in a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.

During the meeting, Minister Fadli, expressed appreciation for Werner Weiglein’s efforts in digitizing his private collection, which will later be handed over to the Ministry of Culture as a representation of the Indonesian government. According to him, the collection holds significant strategic value in strengthening Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy abroad.

He also conveyed plans to involve the Advisory Council for Museums and Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture in overseeing the transfer process of the Papua Museum.

In addition, the Minister encouraged further discussions with relevant stakeholders to provide input regarding the management of the museum and approximately 1,700 cultural objects owned by Werner Weiglein.

Werner Weiglein has actively collected various cultural objects since the 1970s and traveled to several regions in Indonesia, including Sulawesi and Papua, during the 1980s.

The Papua Museum he manages in Gelnhausen is considered an important institution in introducing Papua’s ethnographic heritage to the international community.

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Culture, Bambang Wibawarta, explained that the museum grant process requires several supporting documents requested by the Directorate General of State Assets (DJKN) of the Ministry of Finance.

The required documents include data on the building area and official property documents of the Papua Museum as part of the assessment process before the issuance of an appraisal value for the building and collections to be transferred to the Indonesian government.

The Ministry of Culture considers efforts in preserving, documenting, and promoting Indonesian culture abroad as an important part of strengthening global cultural diplomacy networks and enhancing Indonesia’s cultural image on the international stage.