Opening of Exhibition Memory of the World. Panji – Diponegoro – La Galigo
Leiden University Libraries is pleased to invite you to attend the opening of the exhibition Memory of the World. Panji – Diponegoro – La Galigo on Thursday 23 May at 4 p.m.
Adventure, resistance and myth
The Panji Tales, the autobiography of Prince Diponegoro and the epos La Galigo rank among the most exceptional literary works in the Southeast Asian literary tradition, which found its first popularity in Indonesia. The Panji manuscripts tell of the many adventures of the Javanese Prince Panji in his quest to find and rescue his beloved Princess Candra Kirana. Javanese stories gained popularity throughout Southeast Asia during the 14th and 15th centuries, replacing the much older Indian epics that had dominated the literary sphere until that time. The Panji Tales therefore represent an important step in the development of Javanese literature, which rose to become the most popular literary genre in the region.
The Diponegoro Chronicles were drawn up by the resistance hero and Indonesian national symbol Prince Diponegoro himself, during his exile on North Sulawesi. The document laid the groundwork for a national narrative in Indonesia and is considered a quintessential piece of Indonesian literature.
The 6,000 pages of the La Galigo manuscript manuscript, parts of which will be on display, were written in the 19th and 20th centuries, and are based on an ancient Buginese oral tradition. The mythical epic is written in a characteristic South-Sulawesi Buginese pentameter and is recognized as one of the most extensive mythical epics in the world. These works represent a long and rich tradition, still thriving in theatrical performances and manuscripts in a large number of languages, forms and scripts.
UNESCO Memory of the World
Leiden University Libraries is responsible for the preservation of a number of authentic manuscripts in the three major literary traditions mentioned above. Their importance has been recognized as such by UNESCO, and they were subsequently included in the Memory of the World Register. This status is shared between the manuscripts and objects in Leiden and those kept in Southeast Asia, firstly in Indonesia (Jakarta, Makassar), but also in Malaysian and Cambodian libraries. The UNESCO Memory of the World Register has been established with the goal to better preserve documentary and digital heritage worldwide for future generations.
Program
- Welcome by Kurt De Belder, Director of Leiden University Libraries.
- Opening of the exhibition by Andrée van Es, Chairman UNESCO Commission Netherlands.
- Roger Tol, former Library Director KITLV Jakarta, on the importance of the three UNESCO objects.
- Willem Vogelsang, Deputy Director International Institute Asian Studies (IASS), on the upcoming ICAS Conference
- Demonstration of Panji masks by Javaanese dance group Kuwung-kuwung direction by Clara Brakel
- Doris Jedamski, curator for South and Southeast Asian Collections, on the exhibition.
Be aware that the entire program will be in Dutch.
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