Culture Minister Meets Papua Museum Founder in Germany, Expands Indonesia's Cultural Diplomacy

The Indonesian Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, received Werner Weiglein, a German enthusiast and admirer of Indonesian culture. The meeting, which took place at the Ministry of Culture’s office in Jakarta, is an important part of expanding Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy network on a global scale. For decades, Werner has actively promoted the cultural richness of the Indonesian archipelago in Europe. He is also the founder and manager of the Papua Museum, located in Gelnhausen, Germany. The museum houses an extraordinary collection of Papuan ethnographic artefacts, which are considered to be of great importance in introducing Indonesian cultural heritage to the international community. “He documented this collection and wrote a fairly comprehensive narrative about it,” Fadli said in a written statement on Tuesday (24 February 2026). Since the 1970s, Werner has also collected various cultural artefacts. In the 1980s, he undertook several journeys and expeditions to various regions of Indonesia, including Sulawesi and Papua. These experiences were then documented in his writings, which chronicle his travels and the cultural richness he encountered. On this occasion, Fadli also praised Werner’s book, entitled Expeditionen durch Indonesien. This book, which he co-authored with Herwig Zahorka, showcases the cultural richness and social diversity of Indonesia. Werner combines documentation with a comprehensive narrative. In addition to his work in the field of culture, Werner is also known for holding the record for the most ascents of Mount Carstensz in the Jayawijaya Mountains, having climbed it 36 times. This dedication reflects Werner’s close connection, not only to Indonesian culture but also to the archipelago’s natural landscapes. Through this meeting, the Ministry of Culture reaffirmed its support for continuing to strengthen cultural diplomacy networks with various international partners. Efforts to preserve, document and promote Indonesian culture abroad are an important part of the strategy to advance culture as a nation’s soft power on a global scale. “We also appreciate foreigners who have an interest in and even promote Indonesia, Indonesian culture, to the world, to Germany, and also to other regions of Europe,” said Fadli. Meanwhile, Werner reaffirmed his commitment to promoting the cultural richness of the Indonesian archipelago through the museum and the writings he has compiled independently. “We can do even more, and all the photos in this book are my own,” Werner concluded. (anl/ega)