Repertorium van Nederlandse zendings- en missie-archieven 1800-1960

Afgezien van enkele in het Nederlands geschreven dossiers zijn alle stukken in het Duits en geschreven in het Duitse handschrift dat tot ongeveer 1945 in gebruik was. De meeste stukken echter die van na ongeveer 1900 daterend zijn getypt. Het verdient aanbeveling om de rapporten (Berichte und Jahresberichte, zie onder periodieken) eerst te raadplegen en dan over te stappen naar de archiefstukken. Onderzoek in dit archief is de moeite meer dan waard omdat het een verbazingwekkende hoeveelheid stukken bevat met betrekking tot culturele botsingen die een onvermijdelijk gevolg zijn van het zendingswerk. Het archief heeft een duidelijke structuur en is gemakkelijk toegankelijk. Het bestaat voornamelijk uit de volgende soorten stukken:

1) persoonsdossiers van zendelingen

2) jaarverslagen opgesteld door de houders van de stations

3) verslagen over activiteiten zoals de regelmatige conferenties van zendelingen

4) correspondentie van de ephorus met het zendingshuis in Barmen

5) stukken over scholen en onderwijs

6) stukken over medisch zendingswerk zoals ziekenhuizen en poliklinieken

7) brieven geschreven door de pandita (inheemse onderwijzers) in Batak Land, bijna allemaal geschreven in het Bataks of een andere Indonesische taal

8) inspectierapporten

9) geschiedschrijving

10) stukken over de onafhankelijke kerken

De meeste stukken die over West Papua handelen dateren van na 1960 en zijn derhalve niet opgenomen. Het zendingshuis in Barmen is in het bezit van een zeer uitgebreide verzameling Duitse zendingstijdschriften en periodieken. Afgezien daarvan zijn ook veel niet-Duitse zendingsperiodieken aanwezig.

Apart from a few files in Dutch, all documents are in German and written in the German handwriting in use until about 1945. Most documents dating from after 1900 have been written with a typewriter. It is recommended to consult the reports (Berichte and Jahresberichte, see under periodicals) first and then switch over to the archival documents. Research in this archive is well worth doing, because it contains an amazing number of documents about cultural collisions which are an inevitable consequence of missionary work.

The archive has a clear structure and is easily accessible. It consists of the following types of documents:

1) personal files of missionaries

2) annual reports prepared by the station holders

3) reports about activities like the regular conferences of missionaries

4) correspondence of the ephorus with the mission house in Barmen

5) documents about schools and education

6) documents about medical missionary work like hospitals and outpatient departments

7) letters written by the pandita native teachers in Batak Country, almost all written in Batak or other Indonesian languages.

8) inspection reports

9) historiography

10) documents about the independent churches.

Most documents dealing with New Guinea date from after 1960, so they have not been invluded.  The mission house in Barmen is in the possession of an extensive collection of German missionary journals and periodicals. In addition, many non-German missionary periodicals are also available.

Onderzoekers moeten van tevoren een afspraak maken met de beheerder van het archief, dhr. Wolfgang Apelt. Er is een leeszaal met faciliteiten.

1)

Personal files of missionaries:

Borneo 60 inventory numbers (of which women 3), 1831-1960

Mentawei 22 inv. nrs. (of which women 7), 1890-1960

Nias 92 inv. nrs. (of which women 18), 1815-1960

Sumatra 215 inv. nrs. (of which women 65), 1826-1960

West-Papua 14 inv. nrs. (of which women 3), 1926-?

Total number of inventory numbers 403 (of which women 96).

The years behind the names concern the period the files cover

These files consist mainly of letters written by the missionaries to the Missionhouse containing detailed information about what they had done and seen, about the results of their work and the problems they had encountered. This information is not limited to missionary points, but also deals with land, climate and people in general. The files sometimes contain some biographical information and letters from Barmen to missionaries.

2)

Stations

Mainly reports about work and results

Borneo 11 inventory numbers, 1892-1925

Mentawei 4 inv. nrs., 1901-1960

Nias 34 inv. nrs., 1899-1960

Sumatra 56 inv. nrs., 1895-1960

West-Papua none (all files dated from after 1960)

Total inventory numbers 109.

3)

Reports of conferences

Conferences of missionaries with lectures held by missionaries

Borneo, 1847-1924 (8 inv. nrs.)

idem, Nias, 1876-1939 (9 inv. nrs.)

idem, Sumatra, 1860-1939 (15 inv. nrs.)

4)

The ephorus

Only Sumatra had an ephorus, on Nias where a ‘Präses’ was placed above the other missionaries a comparable situation existed. Borneo never had such a middleman

Nias, correspondence with the Missionhouse, 1909-1940 (4 inv. nrs.)

Sumatra, correspondence and annual reports sent to the Missionhouse, 1880-1940 (8 inv. nrs.)

idem, instructions, 1920 and 1936 (inv. nr. 2.916)

Essay by ephorus J. Warneck about the situation of the mission in Batak Country, recent and future developments, 1922 (inv. nr. 2.916)

Circular letters of the ephorus to the missionaries, 1922-1940 (inv. nr. 2914).

5)

Inspection reports

Borneo, journeys made by Wegner (Wuppertal) and Witschi (Basel), 1912-1913, 1936 and 1939 (3 inv. nrs.)

Sumatra and the islands off the West Coast of Sumatra, journey made by director Spiecker, 1910-1911 (inv. nr. 2.953)

idem, journey made by inspector Wegner, 1913-1915 (inv. nr. 2.954)

idem, journeys made by director Schmidt, 1907 and 1928-1929 (inv. nr. 2.955)

idem, journeys made by other people, 1922-1950 (inv. nr. 2.956).

6)

Relations between the RMG and the Dutch colonial government

Correspondence with Batavia and Buitenzorg, 1888-1934 (2 inv. nrs.; largely about financial matters after 1918 and statistics)

Correspondence with the consul for the mission, 1906-1955 (3 inv. nrs.)

NB: the function of consul for the mission was created in 1906 to improve the relation between government and the Protestant as well as the Catholic mission.

7)

Other documents

Borneo, letters and diaries, 1834-1845 (5 inv. nrs.)

Documents with regard to Enggano, 1902-1938 (inv. nr. 2.832)

Documents with regard to the Batoe Islands, 1890-1938 (inv. nr. 2.831)

Chronicle written by director Von Rohden about the mission on Sumatra, 1860-1884 (inv. nr. 2.957)

‘Hatopan Kristen Batak’(Batak Christian Alliance), founded in 1918, statutes and other documents, 1918 (inv. nr. 2.989)

Instruction for missionaries in the field, 1932 (inv. nr. 2.916)

Instruction for the Sisters (female employees), 1900-1940 (inv. nr. 2.916)

During the Second World War all pictures and other images were destroyed, but after the war a new audio-visual collection was built up again. The archives have been saved.