Adrian Linder | Bern University (original) (raw)
Papers by Adrian Linder
GVS / CH-EM Bulletin, 2016
The Newesletter, 2022
Research on the provenance and history of a human skull in the collection of Duke Ernest II of Sa... more Research on the provenance and history of a human skull in the collection of Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Gotha (Thuringia, Germany) reveals a tragic story of colonial violence and counter-violence in mid-19th century Southeast Borneo (presently South and Central Kalimantan). By an eclectic mix of micro-historical, cultural and physical anthropological methods the entangled destinies of two indigenous men are partly reconstructed, departing from the skull of a presumed Borneo rebel and murderer donated in 1862 by a German officer in Dutch services. Traces of the skull's trajectory lead to the story of the rebel's alleged victim, the first known casualty of the Banjar war in 1859 and Borneo's first Christian martyr. Reduced to a "zoological object", in the “collection of quadrupeds”, the rebel's individual destiny is forgotten in the museum trajectory, much as that of the victim, who as a non-European was accorded a marginal role at best. The example shows that guided by principles of micro-history, provenance research not only produces information on the ownership of human remains and their specific historical context, but can also provide insights in contemporary collection practices, in the history of missions and science, and extreme violence in a trans-colonial context. Over time, the remains change their function and signification in processes of subsequent recontextualizations, oblivion and remembrance. The fact that they were not found in a collection of the former colonizing country, points to the multiple entanglements of trans-imperial European history, involving actors from such different origins as today’s Indonesia, Ghana, Germany and Switzerland.
Thüringer Museumshefte, 2022
Research on the provenance and history of a human skull in the collection of Duke Ernest II of Sa... more Research on the provenance and history of a human skull in the collection of Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Gotha (Thuringia, Germany) reveals a tragic story of colonial violence and counter-violence in mid-19th century Southeast Borneo (presently South and Central Kalimantan). By an eclectic mix of micro-historical, cultural and physical anthropological methods the entangled destinies of two indigenous men are partly reconstructed, departing from the skull of a presumed Borneo rebel and murderer donated in 1862 by a German officer in Dutch services. Traces of the skull's trajectory lead to the story of the rebel's alleged victim, the first known casualty of the Banjar war in 1859 and Borneo's first Christian martyr. Reduced to a "zoological object", in the “collection of quadrupeds”, the rebel's individual destiny is forgotten in the museum trajectory, much as that of the victim, who as a non-European was accorded a marginal role at best. The example shows that guided by principles of micro-history, provenance research not only produces information on the ownership of human remains and their specific historical context, but can also provide insights in contemporary collection practices, in the history of missions and science, and extreme violence in a trans-colonial context. Over time, the remains change their function and signification in processes of subsequent recontextualizations, oblivion and remembrance. The fact that they were not found in a collection of the former colonizing country, points to the multiple entanglements of trans-imperial European history, involving actors from such different origins as today’s Indonesia, Ghana, Germany and Switzerland.
Rausch und RealitätDrogen im Kulturvergleich
babylonia-ti.ch
Adrian Linder: Im Rahmen des Schwerpunkteprogramms 2004-2007 stehen für die Förderung von Sprach-... more Adrian Linder: Im Rahmen des Schwerpunkteprogramms 2004-2007 stehen für die Förderung von Sprach-und Integrationskursen jährlich 4-5 Mio zur Verfügung. Wir unterstützen damit Sprachkurse, die auch integrative Elemente beinhalten, dh sie sollen den ...
Swiss anthropologist Alois Bucher, unknown to most of his colleagues, certainly spent more time d... more Swiss anthropologist Alois Bucher, unknown to most of his colleagues, certainly spent more time doing fieldwork among nomadic and formerly nomadic groups of interior Borneo than any other. Between 1965 and 1975 he crisscrossed the Muller mountain range, collecting among these groups a variety of data-ethnographic, historical, oral literature, music-hardly any of which was ever located, let alone published. In 1981, one of us (BS) submitted to this Bulletin a short article (unpublished) partly based on the oral testimonies of the local people, among which Bucher had reached the status of a legendary figure. Twenty-seven years later, new, follow-up research (by AL) in Switzerland unexpectedly allowed for a considerably enriched reconstruction of Alois Bucher's life and deeds in Borneo. Young Alois' deeply religious background, rich and complex inner life, and mystical inclination led him to wish to become a missionary. After two years in a Swiss seminary and higher theological...
Rausch und RealitätDrogen im Kulturvergleich
GVS / CH-EM Bulletin, 2016
The Newesletter, 2022
Research on the provenance and history of a human skull in the collection of Duke Ernest II of Sa... more Research on the provenance and history of a human skull in the collection of Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Gotha (Thuringia, Germany) reveals a tragic story of colonial violence and counter-violence in mid-19th century Southeast Borneo (presently South and Central Kalimantan). By an eclectic mix of micro-historical, cultural and physical anthropological methods the entangled destinies of two indigenous men are partly reconstructed, departing from the skull of a presumed Borneo rebel and murderer donated in 1862 by a German officer in Dutch services. Traces of the skull's trajectory lead to the story of the rebel's alleged victim, the first known casualty of the Banjar war in 1859 and Borneo's first Christian martyr. Reduced to a "zoological object", in the “collection of quadrupeds”, the rebel's individual destiny is forgotten in the museum trajectory, much as that of the victim, who as a non-European was accorded a marginal role at best. The example shows that guided by principles of micro-history, provenance research not only produces information on the ownership of human remains and their specific historical context, but can also provide insights in contemporary collection practices, in the history of missions and science, and extreme violence in a trans-colonial context. Over time, the remains change their function and signification in processes of subsequent recontextualizations, oblivion and remembrance. The fact that they were not found in a collection of the former colonizing country, points to the multiple entanglements of trans-imperial European history, involving actors from such different origins as today’s Indonesia, Ghana, Germany and Switzerland.
Thüringer Museumshefte, 2022
Research on the provenance and history of a human skull in the collection of Duke Ernest II of Sa... more Research on the provenance and history of a human skull in the collection of Duke Ernest II of Saxe-Gotha (Thuringia, Germany) reveals a tragic story of colonial violence and counter-violence in mid-19th century Southeast Borneo (presently South and Central Kalimantan). By an eclectic mix of micro-historical, cultural and physical anthropological methods the entangled destinies of two indigenous men are partly reconstructed, departing from the skull of a presumed Borneo rebel and murderer donated in 1862 by a German officer in Dutch services. Traces of the skull's trajectory lead to the story of the rebel's alleged victim, the first known casualty of the Banjar war in 1859 and Borneo's first Christian martyr. Reduced to a "zoological object", in the “collection of quadrupeds”, the rebel's individual destiny is forgotten in the museum trajectory, much as that of the victim, who as a non-European was accorded a marginal role at best. The example shows that guided by principles of micro-history, provenance research not only produces information on the ownership of human remains and their specific historical context, but can also provide insights in contemporary collection practices, in the history of missions and science, and extreme violence in a trans-colonial context. Over time, the remains change their function and signification in processes of subsequent recontextualizations, oblivion and remembrance. The fact that they were not found in a collection of the former colonizing country, points to the multiple entanglements of trans-imperial European history, involving actors from such different origins as today’s Indonesia, Ghana, Germany and Switzerland.
Rausch und RealitätDrogen im Kulturvergleich
babylonia-ti.ch
Adrian Linder: Im Rahmen des Schwerpunkteprogramms 2004-2007 stehen für die Förderung von Sprach-... more Adrian Linder: Im Rahmen des Schwerpunkteprogramms 2004-2007 stehen für die Förderung von Sprach-und Integrationskursen jährlich 4-5 Mio zur Verfügung. Wir unterstützen damit Sprachkurse, die auch integrative Elemente beinhalten, dh sie sollen den ...
Swiss anthropologist Alois Bucher, unknown to most of his colleagues, certainly spent more time d... more Swiss anthropologist Alois Bucher, unknown to most of his colleagues, certainly spent more time doing fieldwork among nomadic and formerly nomadic groups of interior Borneo than any other. Between 1965 and 1975 he crisscrossed the Muller mountain range, collecting among these groups a variety of data-ethnographic, historical, oral literature, music-hardly any of which was ever located, let alone published. In 1981, one of us (BS) submitted to this Bulletin a short article (unpublished) partly based on the oral testimonies of the local people, among which Bucher had reached the status of a legendary figure. Twenty-seven years later, new, follow-up research (by AL) in Switzerland unexpectedly allowed for a considerably enriched reconstruction of Alois Bucher's life and deeds in Borneo. Young Alois' deeply religious background, rich and complex inner life, and mystical inclination led him to wish to become a missionary. After two years in a Swiss seminary and higher theological...
Rausch und RealitätDrogen im Kulturvergleich