Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta.  Indonesia officially received the Dubois fossil collection from the Dutch government in a handover ceremony at the Naturalis Museum in Leiden, marking a milestone in cultural repatriation.

“Today we close a historical gap and restore the dignity of knowledge born in Trinil,” said Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, who accepted the repatriation documents on behalf of the government, on Saturday (27/9/2025).

The Dubois Collection, consisting of around 28,000 fossils found in Java and Sumatra, includes the famous Homo erectus fossils discovered by Dutch paleoanthropologist Eugene Dubois between 1891 and 1892 in Trinil, East Java.

The return coincided with President Prabowo Subianto’s official visit to the Netherlands. Both governments agreed to form a joint team to secure the transfer and strengthen cooperation in research, conservation, exhibitions, digitization, and capacity building. Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Gouke Moes said the move reflects the Netherlands’ commitment to responsible colonial-era repatriation.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)