[updated 12/04/2026]
On 11 April 2026 SHS hosted its 30th Heritage Speakers Series session, by Dr. Rolf Schlömer, an independent researcher from Germany who has spent years tracing and cataloguing Melanau cultural artefacts held in European museums.
Dr. Schlömer, who worked in rural Sarawak in the 1970s under the German Volunteer Service, shared his findings and personal insights on the journeys of Melanau objects from Sarawak to Museum collections across England, Scotland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Denmark and the Vatican.
He engaged the over 40 participants in a lively discussion on the cultural and historical significance and the related ethical dimensions of these collections, with questions such as their importance for the European institutions, the legality and ethical acceptability of their removal from Sarawak and the degree of cultural loss they may constitute for Sarawak.
On these aspects Dr. Schlömer pointed for example to the fact that many of the objects found in European collections were likely commissioned or produced for collectors rather than being items used in traditional (often ritual) contexts. As such, he suggested that their removal may not constitute a direct cultural loss for Sarawak, some items -such as a seemingly unique known textile piece that can no longer be traced- pointing however to significant loss.
He also reflected that while being preserved in European institutions, the cultural meaning of these collections could be more exposed if they -or parts of them- were exhibited close to their place of origin, for example, through display in local museums such as Oya Museum, rather than remaining in storage.
Dr. Schlömer’s also provided interesting -sometimes intriguing- accounts of the channels by which these artefacts travelled from Sarawak to European museum depots.
This session offered an opportunity for heritage enthusiasts, researchers, tourism players and members of the public to gain insights into Melanau material culture, the ethics of historical collecting practices and ongoing debates about cultural restitution, and reaffirmed the Sarawak Heritage Society’s commitment to fostering dialogue on Sarawak’s rich cultural heritage and its preservation, both locally and internationally.
The event was supported by the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, and by the HAUS Kuching Collective.