Enviro News Asia, Cilacap – Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Dr. Fadli Zon, emphasized the importance of establishing more museums dedicated to national figures following his visit to the Soesilo Soedarman Museum in Gentasari Village, Cilacap Regency, Central Java, Thursday (September 11, 2025).
Fadli Zon praised the museum for preserving the legacy of the late General Soesilo Soedarman, who devoted his life to the nation as a TNI soldier, Indonesia’s Ambassador to the United States, Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications, and Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs. He stressed that documenting the lives of national leaders in museums will provide valuable historical lessons for future generations.
During the visit, the minister was accompanied by Director General of Cultural Protection and Tradition Restu Gunawan and Chairman of the Indonesian Museum Association Putu S. Rudana. They were welcomed by Museum Trustee Indroyono Soesilo, Cilacap Deputy Regent Ammy Amalia Fatma Surya, and Museum Director Apoli Purini.
Fadli Zon observed the museum’s collection, including national and international medals awarded to Soesilo Soedarman. In the “General’s Footprints at the Post Office” room, he admired a Dutch-made 1919 steel mailbox known as “Brieven Bus,” which historically served as a reference point for mapping. He also noted the museum’s philately collection, Javanese cultural artifacts, and preserved documents such as RA Kosasih’s Ramayana and Mahabharata comics and Ahmad Tohari’s Banyumas Dictionary.
The minister suggested digitalizing the museum’s vast collections to increase accessibility and attract more visitors. As the advisor to 450 museums nationwide, he pledged continued support for private museums, including internet access and website development. He also highlighted Presidential Decree No. 87/2017 on Strengthening Character Education as a legal foundation for requiring student visits to museums and art centers.
The Soesilo Soedarman Museum, founded in 2000 by the Soesilo Soedarman Museum Foundation, is housed in Wisma Mbah Ageng, a Banyumas-style joglo built in 1899 where the general spent his childhood. General Soesilo Soedarman, born in Maos on November 10, 1928, dedicated 53 years of service to the nation until his death on December 18, 1997. The museum remains the only one in Cilacap Regency and has become a cultural landmark in the region. (*)
