Geneva, April 2, 2026 /MONTSAME/. An official handover ceremony marking the return of two rare ancient Mongolian texts preserved in the collections of the University Library of Bern was held on 31 March 2026 at the Embassy of Mongolia to the Swiss Confederation.

The restitution was made possible following the completion of all relevant institutional and legal procedures by the University of Bern. The texts form part of Mongolia’s written cultural heritage and are being returned to their country of origin after many years abroad.

The process was facilitated through the long-standing scholarly work and initiative of Professor Dr. Karenina Kollmar Paulenz of the Institute for the Science of Religion at the University of Bern. An internationally recognized scholar in Mongolian Studies, Professor Kollmar Paulenz played a key role in identifying the provenance, historical value, and academic significance of the texts, as well as in supporting their formal return to Mongolia.

The first text is an early seventeenth-century manuscript containing a Mongolian translation of the Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, composed by the Tibetan yogi and poet Milarepa. The translation is attributed to the learned monk Siregetü Güüsi Čorji and was produced at the request of Onbo Qung Tayiji, a prominent Tümed noble. Based on information provided in the manuscript’s colophon, the translation is believed to date to around 1615 and represents an important source for the study of Mongolian Buddhist literature and translation history.

The second text is a rare Mongolian language woodblock printed edition of the heroic Epic of Geser, printed in Beijing in 1716. Although incomplete, containing several key chapters of the epic, the volume is of particular significance for research into Mongolia’s epic tradition, written culture, and early printing history.

Both texts were previously part of the private collection of the scholar Richard Ernst and were later preserved at the University Library of Bern. After many years, they are now being returned to Mongolia for preservation and further study.

The return of these materials represents an important step toward safeguarding Mongolia’s cultural heritage in its country of origin and highlights the strength of academic and cultural cooperation between Mongolia and Switzerland.

H.E. Ms. Gerelmaa Davaasuren, Ambassador of Mongolia to the Swiss Confederation, together with the staff of the Embassy of Mongolia, expressed their sincere appreciation to the University of Bern, Professor Karenina Kollmar Paulenz, and all scholars involved for their respectful stewardship of Mongolia’s cultural heritage and for their cooperation in facilitating its return.