AKP Phnom Penh, November 20, 2025 --

Dr. István Zelnik, a Hungarian national and private collector, has agreed to return to Cambodia an extensive collection of Khmer cultural heritage objects currently in his possession, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts announced this evening. 

The return followed several years of negotiations, and as part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to search for and reclaim lost Khmer cultural heritage, it added.

According to the Ministry’s press release, Dr. István Zelnik has been collecting art objects from across the Asian region, including Khmer art, for several decades. Dr. Zelnik in the early 2000s established the Hungarian Southeast Asian Institute. Under the Institute, significant scientific research has been carried out at Angkor and Koh Ker, with the financial support from Dr. Zelnik, including archaeological surveys, LIDAR investigations, and historical studies. These efforts have also made an important contribution to the nomination of Koh Ker for inscription on the World Heritage List.

Among the significant Khmer cultural heritage objects which will be returned to Cambodia under this agreement are 183 pieces of Khmer silk textiles - a remarkable collection which significantly increases the National Museum's existing collection of textiles as well as prehistoric artifacts such as coins, beads, jewelry, and items made of precious metals, bronze, stone and clay. Many of these objects were looted from Cambodia during the decades of civil war. The return also includes several other important collections, such as stone and bronze objects from both the Pre-Angkor and Angkor periods.

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts expressed its gratitude and sincere appreciation to Dr. István Zelnik, who, now in his seventies, has made the commendable decision to return an extensive collection of Khmer cultural heritage objects to Cambodia. Dr. Zelnik has previously repatriated several Khmer artefacts and has significantly contributed to Cambodia's cultural preservation efforts through his support for archaeological research projects and the publication of numerous scholarly works on cultural heritage, inscriptions, and contemporary Khmer art.

“Peace and political stability achieved through the Win-Win Policy of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen have provided Cambodia with the opportunity to reclaim the souls of our Khmer ancestors and recover numerous priceless treasures that were looted from their homeland during the decades of war,” H.E. Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, stated. “At the same time, we wish to express our deepest gratitude to Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, for his unwavering commitment and full support in the protection, conservation, and promotion of our national culture and civilisation.”

H.E. Minister also expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the team of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and particularly to Mr. Bradley J. Gordon of Edenbridge Asia and his associates, for their active collaboration with the Ministry in researching, identifying, and negotiating the return of these lost Khmer cultural heritage properties to Cambodia.

This voluntary return of Cambodian antiquities is an example to be followed. The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts calls upon and encourages all private collectors and institutions worldwide which possess Cambodian artefacts to cooperate with the Royal Government of Cambodia – through the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts or Cambodian embassies in their respective countries – in facilitating the return of Khmer cultural property to its homeland.

“The Royal Government of Cambodia extends its sincere gratitude for such acts of goodwill. The repatriation of Khmer cultural heritage is regarded as a noble and honorable gesture - one that reflects a profound sense of ethical responsibility in safeguarding a nation's identity and contributes meaningfully to the preservation of humanity's shared cultural legacy,” the press release concluded.

By C. Nika