Hendrik Yaputra, Jakarta – Indonesia's Ministry of Culture has designated December 14 as National History Day. The History Day launch took place at the Plaza Insan Berprestasi in Jakarta today.

The Director General of Cultural Protection and Traditions at the Ministry of Culture, Restu Gunawan, stated that the establishment of the History Day was proposed by the Indonesian Historians Society (MSI). This aspiration was approved by the Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, through Minister of Culture letter number 206/M/2025 dated December 8, 2025, which designated December 14 as National History Day.

"In the effort to strengthen historical awareness, one of the measures taken is the establishment of a history day," said Restu in Jakarta on Sunday, December 14, 2025, as monitored on the Ministry of Culture's YouTube channel.

The Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, stated that the designation of the History Day is in accordance with the History Seminar held from September 14 to 17, 1957, at Gadjah Mada University (UGM). Indonesian historians attended the seminar.

At that time, Indonesia had just gained independence and aimed to have a history written from an Indonesian-centric perspective. "The Dutch wrote history differently from our point of view. The Dutch never felt like they were colonizing. What they did was modernization. For us, it was colonization. A police action. For us, it was military aggression," said Fadli.

This Gerindra Party politician pointed out that the Dutch used different terminology in their history books. Therefore, terminologies that adopt an Indonesian-centric perspective are necessary. "So, many terminologies have changed. This is the demand of the times. Viewing history from an Indonesian-centric perspective," he said.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2073393/indonesia-officially-designates-december-14-as-national-history-da