Antara News are reporting that British Ambassador to Indonesia Dominic Jermey handed over a digital copy of 120-Javanese manuscripts to the Governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, at Gedhong Wilis, Kepatihan Complex, on Thursday (16/11/23), which were digitized and saved on a hard disk by the British Library.
“We hand over this extraordinary manuscript so that it can be cared for and be made available and accessible to the public to learn about cultural heritage,” Jermey said.
According to him, the handover of the digital copy could be realized due to a collaboration between the British Library and the National Library of Indonesia under the Bollinger Javanese Manuscript Digitization Project, say Antara News.
“These manuscripts are very valuable and extraordinary,” Jermey said, adding that their handover reflects the British government’s commitment to collaborating with Yogyakarta in expanding access to historical texts through digital innovation.
He said that the British Library worked through two pandemic lockdowns to complete the project.
“Java’s rich history is now protected forever after being digitized with the latest technology and the dedication of the British Library that persevered through two national lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic to complete this project,” Jermey added.
Antara News say that Jermey and the Sultan also discussed culture and the role of Yogyakarta in Indonesia and the world.
The Yogyakarta Governor lauded the British government’s initiative to digitize the Javanese manuscripts.
He said that the manuscripts belonged to Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono II, who was born in 1750 and passed away in 1828.
Source: Antara News
Stock image by Ganyong on Wikepedia Creative Commons
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