Provenance and history of the Friedenstein Foundation Gotha's collection of Indonesian skulls
An international team led by Adrian Linder, ethnologist and associated researcher at the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Bern, investigated the provenance of a total of 41 human skulls in the Gotha collection. 33 are still present and could be examined in more detail by osteoanthropologist Kristina Scheelen-Nováček M.A. Through meticulous research in inventory books, catalogues and contemporary documents, in Dutch and Indonesian newspapers, by combing through the ducal correspondence and with the help of archives and repositories of other European museums and libraries and in personal exchanges with other researchers, Linder was able to shed light on a little-known chapter of colonial history. The researchers also took a close look at the history of the collection and documented how objects changed their status over the course of their history depending on how they were viewed and by whom.
Project activities and results
- Magazine "People. Human Remains in the Friedenstein Foundation Gotha" (d/e)
- Project presentation for the Night of the Museums 2021
- Press conference to present the project results on 22 July 2022
Information on the project
The institution
Friedenstein Foundation Gotha
Project management
Adrian Linder (Anthropologist and associated researcher at the Institute of Social Anthropology at the University of Bern)
Project participants
Anastasia Yurchenko (FSG)
Kristina Scheelen-Nováček M.A. (Osteoanthropologist)
Dr. Claudia Klein (Communication and public relations)
Nasrullah (Institut for Dayak studies-21)
Marko Mahin (Institut for Dayak studies-21)
Mansyur (Institut for Dayak studies-21)
Project partner
Institut for Dayak studies-21, Palangka Raya
Duration
12/2020-05/2022
Supported by
Deutsches Zentrum für Kulturgutverluste
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