Historical and cultural artifacts related to Mongolia are preserved in many countries around the world. These artifacts have been little studied but have remained as fascinating witnesses to history to this day.

Initiator of the “Heritages of Mongols Spread Around the World” project, S. Chuluun first visited the archives of the Ethnographic Museum in Berlin, Germany, in 2018. After viewing the interesting artifacts related to Mongolian history, ethnography, and culture stored in the museum, he requested to jointly publish them. As a result, the work “Historical and Cultural Artifacts of Mongols in Germany” was published and officially launched today (2024.12.09).

S. Chuluun, the general editor of the book and project leader, said “We started this project over 10 years ago. During this time, we have been searching for, researching, and publishing historical and cultural artifacts related to Mongolians, publishing more than 10 volumes in a series. This time, Mongolian historical and cultural artifacts preserved in Germany are being published and distributed to the public. Germany is a country that holds an extensive collection of Mongolia’s cultural heritage. These artifacts are notable for their diversity, including works related to Mongolian ethnography, religious studies, 18th century photographs by English aristocrats, 14th century letters from Mongol khans, maps of the regions (Khoshuud), and paintings from the Ilkhanate period of the 13th-14th centuries. In the future, with a total of 20 volumes, the cultural heritage artifacts and monuments of Mongolia from around the world will be published as a comprehensive work and made accessible for research. I would like to express my deep respect to my dear friend Lars Christian Koch, who was present at the opening of this book in person. Additionally, this year marks the historic 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. As part of this initiative, the cultural heritage of Mongolia preserved in Germany and the results of joint Mongolian-German research are being made available to the public through the virtual museum website of the “Orkhon Valley”. The website is accessible in three languages — Mongolian, German, and English.

At the event, Dr. Professor Lars Christian Koch, Director of the Ethnological Museum at the Humboldt Forum and an honored guest of the book opening, remarked, “Thanks to Mongolia’s initiative, this book was published in a very short time. The publication of this book marks the beginning of further work, and next year, the second volume will be released.” Our museum holds over 1,000 artifacts related to Mongolian history and culture, and we are committed to introducing these treasures to the Mongolian people. The collection of Mongolian cultural heritage preserved in Germany has consistently attracted the interest of museum professionals and the public. Our country has long been holding exhibitions about Mongolia, which shows that the German people are very interested in Mongolian history. I would like to emphasize my deep gratitude to my dear friend S. Chuluun for successfully establishing and managing a modern museum and also for publishing a series of books. The Chinggis Khaan National Museum is well-curated in terms of its content. Within an hour, I was able to know an introductory understanding of Mongolia, and with a full day, one could gain comprehensive knowledge about the country. We will work toward closer collaboration between our museums.

The historical and cultural heritages of the Mongols in Germany feature a selection of Mongolian ethnographic artifacts, paintings, ritual texts, private collections, and religious objects from the Berlin Ethnographic Museum.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation A. Davaajargal, Deputy Head of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Hanna Becker, and other officials attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Additionally, the collection of Mongolian cultural artifacts preserved in Germany has been showcased in various exhibitions, including the “Arts and Cultures of Northern Asia” special exhibition in 1930, the “Mongolian folk life” special exhibition in 1933, and a permanent exhibition on Mongolian culture starting in 1935 at the Ethnological Museum, located on Königgrätzer Strasse. Since 1973, permanent exhibitions have continued to be displayed.