Photos: Aryan Dhimal
Kathmandu, October 2
More than 800 important historical Nepali documents dating from the 13th to the 20th century have been handed over to Nepal’s National Archives after being held in the private collection of German national Josef Peter Rindfleisch.
The documents were jointly handed over to Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal by Professor Axel Michaels of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities under Heidelberg University, Dr Manik Bajracharya and Rajan Khatiwada at a programme held at the National Archives on Friday.
Professor Michaels was a friend of Rindfleisch’s son, Walter Rindfleisch. Walter had handed over his father’s collection to Michaels with the intention of returning the documents to Nepal. Michaels subsequently facilitated their return to Nepal through Heidelberg University.
The documents were repatriated through collaboration among the Nepali Embassy in Germany, Heidelberg University, the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Sharaf Foundation and the National Archives.
Foreign Minister Khanal said the return of the historical documents had restored Nepal’s cultural integrity and sovereign ownership over its civilisational heritage.
“Our art, literature, traditions and sacred texts are not merely physical remains. They are the living soul of our civilisation. They carry centuries of philosophical thought, political governance, legal knowledge and spiritual life,” he said.
“The return of each historical document to its homeland is a restoration of cultural rights and a renewed commitment to sovereign ownership of our civilisational heritage,” he added.
Khanal recalled that the late Josef Peter Rindfleisch had expressed his wish to return the more than 800 important Nepali documents in his private collection and praised his respect for cultural heritage and his foresight.
He also expressed gratitude to Walter Rindfleisch for honouring his father’s wishes by handing the documents over to Professor Axel Michaels of Heidelberg University’s South Asia Institute.
“This extraordinary archive includes ancient palm-leaf manuscripts, royal decrees, court orders, Sanskrit texts and historical travel accounts. These documents are indispensable sources for understanding Nepal’s political, legal and intellectual development,” he said.
Khanal also praised Professor Michaels and his research team for their role in identifying, cataloguing and repatriating the documents, saying their academic integrity, research and sustained efforts had made the return possible.
The collection, which was gathered from Nepal between the 1780s and the 1990s, includes more than 800 royal and official documents, including palm-leaf manuscripts, rukka and lal mohar documents.
The collection was preserved and catalogued by the Heidelberg University Library and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities before being returned to Nepal in coordination with the Nepal government.
According to the catalogue of the collection, it includes 465 palm-leaf manuscripts from the Malla period, including palm-leaf documents and lal mohar records, as well as 312 legal decrees and royal documents from the Shah and Rana periods bearing clay seals.
The collection also includes 18 handwritten texts and travel diaries from the offices of Rana prime ministers and 11 handwritten manuscripts on various subjects.
Khanal said Nepal and Germany are both parties to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property.
He said the handover demonstrated a shared commitment to the spirit and principles of the international convention.
“Today’s handover is an important example of our shared international commitment. We highly appreciate the active support provided by the German government, the German Embassy in Kathmandu and Heidelberg University for the smooth return of these documents,” he said.
Khanal also recalled that Professor Michaels had formally handed over the documents to the Nepali Embassy in Berlin on April 24, 2026.
He praised the coordination among the Nepali Embassy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Archives throughout the repatriation process.
