The Ministry of Culture Accelerates the Revitalization of the Surakarta Palace, Targeting a Living Cultural Heritage

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon during a meeting with the Teguh Satya Bhakti Law Firm at the Ministry of Culture Office, Jakarta, Monday, June 22. (IST)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Culture ensures that the revitalization of the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace will continue with the target of making the national cultural heritage area a living heritage or cultural heritage that is alive and benefits the community.

The commitment was conveyed by Minister of Culture Fadli Zon when receiving an audience with the Teguh Satya Bhakti Law Firm at the Ministry of Culture Office, Jakarta, Monday, June 22.

According to Fadli, the government has an obligation to protect, care for, develop, and utilize cultural sites that have been designated as national cultural sites. Therefore, preservation should not stop at efforts to maintain historical buildings alone.

"The government's interest in cultural heritage, especially those that have become national cultural heritage, is to care for, protect, develop, and utilize them," said Fadli.

He emphasized that cultural heritage must be revived as a cultural space that has social, educational, and economic functions for the community.

Fadli revealed that the revitalization of the Surakarta Palace had begun since last year. A number of points that have been handled include the Songgo Buwono Stage and the museum in the palace area.

The program will continue because the Surakarta Palace is considered to have an important historical value and contains various works of ancient culture that are part of the nation's identity.

In supporting the management of the area, the Ministry of Culture has appointed KGPH Panembahan Agung Tedjowulan as the executor of cultural development in the Surakarta Palace, especially in the aspects of protection, development, and utilization of cultural heritage.

According to Fadli, no less important is to maintain the atmosphere so that the revitalization that has been carried out can provide real benefits for the sustainability of the cultural ecosystem in the palace environment.

"The principle is that we want to be conducive, so that after revitalization, this palace will become more alive as a living heritage," he said.

In addition to discussing the preservation of cultural heritage, the meeting also touched on the opportunity for cooperation in providing legal assistance for indigenous peoples and cultural communities in need of assistance.

Chairman of Teguh Satya Bhakti Law Firm, Teguh Satya Bhakti, expressed his support for the government's steps in preserving national cultural heritage. According to Teguh, arranging cultural heritage areas is not only related to legal aspects, but also concerns various social, cultural, and governance issues that require a comprehensive approach.

The revitalization of the Surakarta Palace is one of the important projects that the government is currently pushing to ensure that cultural heritage is not only physically maintained, but also remains alive and relevant for today's generation.