Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Education and Culture

Republic of Indonesia Republic of Indonesia

PRESS INFORMATION

Subject: H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle (The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal
Republic of Germany) Visit to Borobudur Temple Compounds on 10 February, 2013

On 10 February 2013, H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal
Republic of Germany, will visit the World Heritage listed Borobudur Temple Compounds. Since
2011, the Federal Republic of Germany has provided generous financial contributions through
UNESCO to support the Indonesian government in their research and conservation efforts at
Borobudur. H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle will be accompanied by representatives from the
German Embassy in Jakarta, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and UNESCO and will visit the Borobudur Temple to meet those involved in the
conservation efforts and see some of the conservation challenges and results first hand.

H.E. Mrs. Wiendu Nuryanti (Vice Minister for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education and
Culture), outlined that ‘the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia has
been implementing a number of significant conservation actions for the preservation of the
Borobudur Temple Compounds. The conservation efforts in the aftermath of the Mt Merapi
eruption brought solidarity from various countries, showcasing goodwill and support for the
protection of the cultural heritage of humanity. The Government of the Federal Republic of
Germany has generously supported our actions, providing financial contributions through
UNESCO for the implementation of research and conservation techniques at the Borobudur
Temple since 2011. In this spirit, we welcome the visit of H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle to the
Borobudur temple, and hope our cooperation to conserve this wonderful World Heritage site can
continue in the future.

H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle (The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of
Germany), commented that ‘the German government is very pleased to support efforts to
conserve the Borobudur Temple, especially as we consider it a great symbol of the Indonesian
national motto of ‘Unity in Diversity’, involving a rich tapestry of religious beliefs and culture. I
would like to commend the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, UNESCO and the
people of Borobudur for their efforts in the recovery of the temple following the 2010 Mount
Merapi eruption. We are happy to support the Indonesian government’s ongoing conservation
efforts, and hope our support acts not only to help preserve the Temple for future generations,
but also to further strengthen cooperation between our two countries. I very much look forward to
visiting the temple and meeting with Indonesian experts involved in the conservation of the
temple.

H.E. Mr. Dian Triansyah Djani (Director General for America and Europe, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs) conveyed that “the Indonesian Government highly appreciates the continuous
support by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany in the conservation of the
Borobudur Temple. The visit by the Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Westerwelle, symbolizes
commitment of the government and the people of Germany to celebrate one of the world’s
greatest symbols of harmony in diversity. This represents a shared value between Germany and
Indonesia, two countries that work together in partnership for the good of our two peoples and the
good of humanity at large”.

Mr. Hubert Gijzen (Director and Representative of the UNESCO Office Jakarta) commented
that ‘UNESCO would like to convey its sincere appreciation to the Indonesian authorities,
especially the dedicated work of the Ministry of Education and Culture and Borobudur
Conservation Office, for their proactive initiatives in the conservation of the World Heritage listed
Borobudur Temple Compounds. UNESCO also wishes to express its sincere thanks to the
Federal Republic of Germany for its continued financial support to conservation activities at
Borobudur, which have resulted in a number of significant conservation, research and capacity
building achievements I would like to stress that the issue is not only how to preserve the
exceptional site, but to demonstrate how culture contributes to sustainable development through
appropriate conservation and management with our partners and all stakeholders involved.
Safeguarding the significance of the region’s rich cultural heritage is directly tied with the
livelihoods of the local communities and their future generations. Economic sustainability in this
area relies on the highest possible conservation quality of the sites, their environments, their
explicit characters and unique assets, which all contribute to the cultural and economic well-being
of local people. UNESCO hence remains committed to assisting the Indonesian Government in
safeguarding the Borobudur Temple Compounds World Heritage site, and hopes to continue to
support the fruitful and beneficial cooperation between UNESCO, the Republic of Indonesia and
the Federal Republic of Germany in the future’.

Mr. Purnomo Siswoprasetijo (President Director, PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur,

Prambanan and Ratu Boko) stated ‘following the 2010 eruption the temple and surrounding
area were badly affected by the volcanic ash of Mt. Merapi. Many people’s livelihoods were also
impacted when the temple was closed due to the ash. Efforts to remove the ash, and ongoing
conservation of the temple, will help ensure that this remarkable temple can be visited by local
and national tourists alike, as well as bringing benefit to the local economy and people. We hope
the visit of the H.E. Mr. Guido Westerwelle will not only strengthen the cooperation between the
Government of Indonesia and Germany but also promote the World Cultural Heritage sites in
Indonesia’

Further Information:

The 2010 eruption of Mt Merapi in Central Java posed a serious threat to the conservation of the
World Heritage listed Borobudur Temple Compounds. Following the eruption a 45mm thick layer
of volcanic ash covered the precious temple and blocked its drainage system, potentially causing
long term damage to the World Heritage site. Responding to the disaster the Indonesian
authorities, in partnership with UNESCO and other partners, put in place an action plan to assess
and act upon the serious conservation issues affecting the site and to ensure the long term
preservation of the temple for generations to come.

The Federal Republic of Germany has been a key supporter of the conservation of the temple.
In November 2011 the government of Germany provided 38,229 Euros to fund the “Preliminary
Diagnostic Research for the Restoration of the Borobudur Temple Compounds and Intensive In-
Situ Restoration Training” within UNESCO’s umbrella project entitled ‘Save the Borobudur
World Heritage Site: Emergency Operation for the Safeguarding of the Borobudur Temple
Compounds from the Damage caused by the Mt. Merapi Eruption and Revitalization of the Local
Community Livelihood in Cultural Industries and Heritage Tourism’. In May 2012, the Federal
Republic of Germany provided further funding in the order of 106,000 Euros for continued
activities under UNESCO’s project entitled ‘First Stage Restoration/Conservation Work at the
Borobudur Temple Compounds’.

Thanks to generous funding of the Federal Republic of Germany a number of significant

conservation, research and capacity building actions have already been achieved in January,
June, October and December 2012 respectively. Four separate missions to Borobudur Temple
Compounds Borobudur were undertaken as part of the project, all of which were supervised by
Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture through the Borobudur Conservation Office (BCO)
and supported by the UNESCO Office in Jakarta. The missions were completed by an expert
team from a number of different disciplines, including stone conservation experts Professor Dr.
Hans Leisen (Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences) and Dr Von Plehwe-Leisen (Cologne
University of Applied Sciences), a chemical engineering specialist Dr Eberhard Wendler (Director
of the Munich Stone Conservation Laboratories), and a structural engineer Dr Ichita Shimoda
(Technical Advisor for the Japanese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor Monument).

Contact Information

Ministry of Education and Culture German Embassy, Jakarta

Marsis Sutopo Michael Hoffmann

Head of Borobudur Conservation Office Head of Press and Cultural Affairs
Jalan Badrawati First Secretary
Ph: +62-293-788175 Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
Email: marsissutopo@yahoo.com Jl. M. H. Thamrin No.1, Jakarta 10310
Ph: +62-21-3985 5126 (direct)
E-Mail: pr-1@jaka.diplo.de

PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko UNESCO Office, Jakarta

Achmad Muchlis Masanori Nagaoka

Corporate Secretary Programme Specialist for Culture
Ph: +62 274 496 402 Ph: +6221 7399818 #826
Email : achmadmuchlis@borobudurpark.co.id Email: m.nagaoka@unesco.org