Nepal has formally received the Josef Peter Rindfleisch Collection of Historical Documents, comprising more than 800 Nepali manuscripts and documents spanning the 13th to the 20th century. The collection was handed over to Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal by Prof. Dr Axel Michaels of Heidelberg University and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities during a ceremony at the National Archives of Nepal.

Addressing the event, Khanal described the return of the manuscripts as a milestone in the preservation, protection and promotion of Nepal’s written cultural heritage. He acknowledged the contributions of Heidelberg University, the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Embassy of Nepal in Berlin, as well as scholars, researchers and institutions involved in facilitating the repatriation.

The foreign minister also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to pursuing the return of historical antiquities held abroad. The ceremony featured remarks from National Archives Director General Ram Bahadur Kunwar, Prof. Michaels and German Ambassador to Nepal Udo Eugen Volz, and was attended by government officials, scholars, researchers, cultural experts and media representatives.

The event was jointly organised by the National Archives Nepal, Heidelberg Centre for Transcultural Studies, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and Saraf Foundation, bringing together national and international institutions around the protection and restoration of Nepal’s documentary heritage.