KBRN, Jakarta: Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon officially inaugurated the National Heritage Gallery of the Immanuel Church in Central Jakarta on Sunday, December 21, 2025, hailing the historic site as a "living museum" that encapsulates nearly two centuries of Indonesian history.

The inauguration marks a significant milestone for the newly established Ministry of Culture, which aims to accelerate the preservation of the nation's diverse architectural and spiritual landmarks.

Built 186 years ago, the Immanuel Church (GPIB Immanuel) has long been a fixture of Jakarta’s colonial-era landscape. During the ceremony, Minister Fadli Zon emphasized that the church’s endurance serves as a testament to Indonesia's cultural "mega-diversity."

"This church is 186 years old. With or without a gallery, this church has actually already been crowned a living museum. Our diversity is our strength, it is our binding power,” he said.

The Minister noted that the gallery is intended to inspire other religious sites, including mosques, temples, and viharas, to seek national heritage status and strengthen the protection of Indonesia's collective history.

The launch of the gallery comes amid a massive push by the Ministry of Culture to formalize heritage protections across the archipelago. This initiative has already shown significant momentum, as the government added 85 sites to the National Cultural Heritage list in just the last few days, marking a massive leap from the previous year’s total of only 10.

Looking ahead, the Ministry, through the Directorate of Culture and Tradition Protection, has set a bold target to designate between 1,000 and 2,000 new Cultural Heritage sites in the coming year. This ambitious goal reflects the government's commitment to rapidly expanding the preservation of Indonesia's diverse historical and cultural landmarks.

Located on the second floor of the church, the new gallery was meticulously developed over several months. Restu Gunawan, Director General of Culture and Tradition Protection, explained that the project involved a multidisciplinary team of curators, archaeologists, historians, and conservators.

"The gallery is designed to publicize the artifacts owned by Immanuel Church. We hope this gallery can be enjoyed by the wider public," Gunawan said.

The development process, which began in August, included rigorous data collection, identification, and documentation of the church’s historical collections to ensure their preservation for future generations. (Naura Sofia/Bambang MBKA)