Over 800 historical documents from 13th to 20th century handed to Foreign Minister

Kathmandu, Oct 2: More than 800 important Nepali historical documents from the 13th to the 20th century, which were in the private collection of a German citizen, Joseph Peter Rindfleisch, have been handed over to the National Archives of Nepal.     

At a programme held today at the National Archives, the historical documents were jointly handed over to Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal by Professor Axel Michaels of Heidelberg University’s Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Dr. Manik Bajracharya, and Rajan Khetwadi.     

Professor Michaels is a friend of Walter Rindfleisch, Joseph Rindfleisch's son. Walter had handed over his father's documents to Professor Michaels to return them to Nepal.     

After that, Professor Michaels handed the documents over to Nepal through Heidelberg University.     

Those historic documents were handed over to the National Archives in the presence of Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal.     

The documents were brought back to Nepal through the collaboration of the Nepali Embassy in Germany, the Heidelberg University, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Saraf Foundation, and the National Archives.     

Foreign Minister Khanal said that the return of the historic document to the country has restored Nepal's cultural integrity and sovereign ownership over its civilizational heritage.     

"Our arts, literature, traditions, and sacred texts are not just physical artefacts; they are the living soul of our civilization. They carry centuries of philosophical thought, political governance, legal knowledge, and spiritual life. The return of every historical document to its original land is a restoration of cultural rights and a reaffirmation of our sovereign ownership over our civilizational heritage," Foreign Minister Khanal said on the occasion.