Since 1987, conscious heritage conservation and heritage interpretation community groups have been proliferating in Indonesia. The emergence of these heritage groups has raised public awareness of heritage and heritage conservation in Indonesia. However, because conscious heritage work by Indonesians is a relatively recent phenomenon, limited scholarly attention had been paid to this field of study. Thus, there has been a need to explore heritage-related concepts and processes in the Indonesian context. The purpose of this exploratory study is to begin to understand how Indonesian key actors working in conscious heritage conservation and interpretation define heritage, why conscious heritage conservation and interpretation are important, what motivates key actors, particularly as related to heritage benefits to individuals and society, how key actors practice their heritage work, and their recommendations for principles for how such work should be practiced.The study uses in-depth interviews of key actors, identified through purposive sampling. The study involved 11 respondents from two Indonesian cities, namely Bandung, representing Dutch colonial-built heritage, and Yogyakarta, a city with a strong Javanese culture, and representing two types of heritage work, heritage conservation and interpretation. Study findings suggest that key actors' definitions of heritage have evolved over their lifespans and experiences. Current collective definitions of heritage consider it to 1) represent outstanding values of the past that are passed on and beneficial to the next generation; 2) be a complex, integrated system comprising diverse elements⁰́₄including tangible and intangible, and cultural, natural, and spiritual elements that all interact; and 3) give a community identity and strength. Motivations of heritage workers are related to the perceived benefits of heritage that accrue to both individuals and society, and that include: financial benefits (personal and community); raised societal awareness of heritage and values; knowledge about local history and local wisdom; development of social skills, creation of local ambiance, place identity, and community pride; maintenance of living traditions and cultural aspects of social life; and improved societal wellbeing. Actual heritage practices include raising public awareness of heritage through varied activities such as disseminating heritage information to the public and organizing outreach programs for the public; conducting inventories of heritage resources; helping governments prepare policies vis-a-vis heritage conservation; using heritage as a modality to assist with redevelopment of communities after natural disasters; and developing local heritage-themed, community-based tour opportunities. Interviewees conveyed that heritage work could have been done more effectively in the past if the approach had been comprehensive and culturally appropriate, had involved diverse stakeholders within a community or society, conserved all integrated elements of heritage, and been based on local wisdom and histories. These principles are recommended for future heritage work.Study findings contribute to understanding perceptions of and work related to heritage, particularly from the Indonesian perspective; factors that influence these perceptions, including the strong role of spiritual values; the role of community-based heritage groups in conducting community-level heritage work; and the societal and individual benefits of heritage conservation and interpretation that motivate the work. Scholarly contributions include the role of specific concepts and theories as they influence perceptions of heritage and associated work, including broadly heritage as a social construct and, more specifically, interactions among people and place, place attachment, social exchange theory, collective memory, and roles of memory sites. Practical implications include providing a foundation for heritage-related government policies and regulations, insights into criteria for heritage conservation and interpretation priorities based on relevance and benefits to society and individuals, and contributions to effective heritage conservation and interpretation practices in Indonesia.
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