Edgar Walden: An Early Ethnographer of Malagan Carvings and Associated Practices
Edgar Walden
An Early Ethnographer of Malagan Carvings and Associated Practices
By Rainer F. Buschmann
Edgar Walden (1876-1914) was an assistant at the Royal Ethnographic Museum in Berlin. Between 1907 and 1909, he participated in the German Naval Expedition to New Ireland. Based in Fissoa village, Walden collected many artifacts and took extensive notes on the malagan funerary festivities in the northern part of this island.
Edgar Walden, seated front left, with fellow members of the Naval Expedition. Behind him is expedition leader Emil Stephan, Deutsche Kolonialzeitung
According to the latest research, Edgar Walden initially hailed from Hanover. In the last decade of the nineteenth century, he learned geography, geology, and history at universities in Berlin, Göttingen, and Würzburg. In Berlin, Walden studied with famed geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen, credited with coining the term Silk Road(s)—Seidenstraße(n)—for the celebrated trade networks connecting East Asia with the Mediterranean. The explorer was also the uncle of Manfred von Richthofen, who gained notoriety as the “Red Baron” over the skies of the Western Front during the First World War. Walden’s attempt to finish a doctorate under Richthofen’s supervision was cut short by the sudden death of his father, a prominent insurance agent. To aid his mother and three siblings, Walden managed rental properties in Berlin and found employment as a scientific assistant at the Royal Museum for Ethnology in that same city. He worked closely with Felix von Luschan, who oversaw this museum’s African and Oceania collections. In 1905, upon Richthofen’s recommendation, Walden took a leave of absence from Berlin to assume the position of interim director of the Roemer Museum in Hildesheim. In this post, the young scholar transferred numerous ethnographic artifacts from Berlin to Hildesheim, a relationship that would continue even after his employment ended in 1906.
Artifact traded to Hildesheim through Walden’s intervention. Stool, Cameroon, V 5967. Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum Hildesheim.
Shortly after resuming his assistant position in Berlin, Luschan contacted Walden and inquired about his willingness to participate in the German Naval Expedition (1907-1909) to the Bismarck Archipelago. The assistant agreed and shipped together with expedition leader Emil Stephan (see Provenance Section), Swiss anthropologist Otto Schlaginhaufen (see Provenance Section), and photographer Richard Schilling to German New Guinea. Already on this lengthy boat journey, trouble was brewing as Walden offended Schlaginhaufen, and the Swiss scholar appealed to Stephan to operate in a different region than his Berlin-based colleague. Schlaginhaufen hinted at Walden’s tendency to contest everything he said while treating Stephan, the expedition’s leader, with great respect. Arriving in the colony, Walden seriously clashed with colonial official Franz Boluminski (see Provenance Section) and his wife Frida. Boluminski informed Stephan that “we would have been pleased to house you at our station and would have extended the same courtesy to Schlaginhaufen. However, with [Walden], my wife and I noted in the few hours that the [governmental vessel] Seestern anchored here that he was lacking proper upbringing [keine Kinderstube] and must refuse to live with him under our roof.” Stephan informed Luschan about these issues in a confidential letter omitted from the official expedition files. He added Walden’s conflict with Schlaginhaufen during the journey to the Bismarck Archipelago and described his character as displaying “an incredible arrogance and lack of tact.” Cognizant of his team’s clashing personalities, Stephan divided the naval venture to New Ireland into two groups. One, including himself, Schlaginhaufen, and Schilling, was based in Muliama, the southern part of the island. A lone Walden, based in Fissoa (Fizoa), a good 50 miles distant from Boluminski’s station in Kavieng, was to investigate the malagan and associated practices in northern and central New Ireland. Governor Albert Hahl (see Provenance Section) would later also comment negatively on Walden to Augustin Krämer: “[Walden] wanted to conquer the world, but nothing came of it. Stephan may not have left Muliama, but [Walden] barely made it to Fissoa.”
A Portrait of Loneliness? Solitary Breadfruit Tree in Fissoa, photograph taken by Walden, VIII B 3807, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Walden was troubled by his stay in Fissoa. Not only did he feel abandoned by his fellow expedition members, but he also frequently clashed with Boluminski over artifact acquisition. The young ethnographer was also under considerable financial strain. Boluminski’s introduction of a head tax a year before Walden’s arrival increased prices for foodstuff and ethnographic objects. “Little can be accomplished through barter exchange. Everyone requires plenty of cash to pay for the tax. I will see how I can get by.” Residing in a guest house in Fissoa, Walden saw his expenses spiraling out of control. Stephan reprimanded the ethnographer when he appealed for more funds, and Luschan begged Walden not to undermine the newfound cordial relationship between the Berlin Museum and Boluminski. Crestfallen Walden immersed himself in cultural and linguistic studies to uncover the mystery behind the malagan ceremonies, which enabled him to develop close ties to local populations and planter Richard Miesterfeldt (also Miesterfeld), who would later obtain a Prussian medal for his support of the Naval Expedition. The icy relationship with Boluminski also improved when he was allowed to accompany the colonial official to a tour of the Mandak-speaking populations of central New Ireland in February of 1908. While unable to collect uli figures—Boluminski wanted them for his quest for decoration—Walden became aware that uli and malagan festivities differed radically and started to acquire his unique approach to ethnographic studies. There is also evidence that, because of his reduced budget, Walden did not purchase all the artifacts offered to him. On February 6, 1908, for instance, he rejected the purchase of a malagan representing a fish carved out of a single piece of wood. The owner asked for 30 marks cash and refused to lower the price. Even if he was attracted to the beautiful piece, Walden walked away from the transaction.
malagan mask, boars head, VI 34449, Photographer Anika Niemeck, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
malagan, Fish Figure, VI 34461, Photographer Dana Freyberg, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Uli Figure, VI 34280, Photographer Leonie Gärtner, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
In his correspondence and diaries, Walden developed a closer understanding of the cultural phenomena he witnessed. He also used such insights to criticize colonial residents’ collecting efforts. Boluminski, according to the young ethnographer, was merely acquiring objects during his official treks through New Ireland. Alternatively, he had artifacts brought to his station at Kavieng, where he accepted them with great pomp and fanfare. On the other hand, Walden opted for scientific collecting, which he understood as asking careful questions and taking thorough notes about his acquired objects. “[Boluminski’s collection method] meshes poorly with my strive for a deeper understanding.” Comparing notes with planter Miesterfeldt, Walden found Richard Parkinson’s (see Provenance Section) newly published Thirty Years in the South Seas wanting. They both judged the sections on New Ireland as entirely superficial and criticized the work for its broad strokes. Later, in a letter to Luschan, the budding ethnographer became even more damning: “Nothing is worse than rushed investigations. The best proof of this is Parkinson’s new book. The result is often a colossal lie, evading the question or the silent treatment. I am afraid Park[inson] published many tall tales.”
Ear ornament, VI 34620, Photographer Peter Jacob, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Dancers with tatanua masks, VIII B 3793, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Isolated in northern New Ireland, Walden was less affected by the expedition leader Emil Stephan’s passing in late May of 1908. While Stephan’s replacement, Augustin Krämer (see Provenance Section), negatively affected the southern group, Walden’s seclusion in the north of New Ireland afforded him relative freedom of operation. In October 1908, much to Luschan’s chagrin, the Berlin-based ethnographer met with members of the Hamburg South Sea Expedition (1908-1910) who were briefly visiting New Ireland. The enthusiasm of having a steamer—the Peiho—to reach and survey every corner of the colony independently quickly gave way to the sober insight that their extensive ethnographic study did not yield the expected results. Walden commented, "[t]here is a widespread dissatisfaction on board with the rushed program, which provides no participants the opportunity for in-depth study.” Hamburg expedition member Wilhelm Müller, who knew Walden from his stay at the Berlin Museum, happily exchanged notes about the advantages of long-term stationary research. Walden explained that the validity of his earlier notes had become doubtful throughout his lengthy, intensive stay in the region.
Malagan Ceremony Mapua, Tabar Islands, Photograph taken by Edgar Walden, VIII B 3766, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Tatanua Mask, VI 34450, Photographer Peter Jacob, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Malagan Head, VI 32830 b, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Malagan Frieze, VI 34445, Photographer Dana Freyberg, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Walden continued to operate in his assigned region while visiting the islands north of New Ireland. His diaries also reflected a shift in recording. While throughout his first-year stay, Walden wrote extensive notes, his entries in late 1908 became much sparser, often reflecting single-sentence entries. This type of notetaking reflected a potential shift in Walden’s operations. Rather than recording extensive ethnographic detail in his daily journals, Walden may have written a much more detailed and, now probably lost, voluminous ethnographic account of what he witnessed and collected. By January of 1910, his recording stopped altogether, perhaps reflecting the departure of the other surviving members, Krämer and Schauinsland, signaling the official end of the expedition. Correspondence with Luschan reveals that Walden stayed behind in the Bismarck Archipelago, ensuring all artifacts were packed well and reached their destination in Berlin. The ethnographer would eventually depart Rabaul in early April on the Northern German Lloyd vessel Manila.
Page of sparse writing from Walden’s diary in late 1908.
Learning to Listen? Walden Surrounded by Indigenous people in Fissoa, VIII C 3936, Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz.
Another notable transformation reflects Walden’s metamorphosis into a more amicable individual and potentially a better fieldworker. After residing in the territory for over two years, the ethnographer rarely locked horns with leading local dignitaries. If interpersonal conflicts characterized his early stay in New Guinea, Elisabeth Krämer-Bannow (see Provenance Section) described her encounter with Walden as delightful, depicting him as “reliable and always willing to assist.” Another episode is very telling. Before departing to take his post at the helm of the Hamburg South Sea Expedition’s journey through Micronesia, Augustin Krämer asked Walden whether he could obtain a large Hareiga headdress from the Qaqet-speaking Baining. Described to reach over 20 meters in height, these giants were fragile and notoriously difficult to transport. Governor Hahl and others had resorted to transporting the headdresses overland to Rabaul and then shipping them to Germany. Walden contacted police chief Bayer before the latter departed for the Baining territory about acquiring such an artifact to him. That Bayer was willing to fulfill Walden’s complex request by returning a 10-meter-high Hareiga speaks volumes about the ethnographer’s improved interpersonal skills.
Walden drew the Hareiga Headdress in a letter to Luschan sent from Matupi on March 20, 1910, I/MV 0525, IB 896/10.
Walden returned to Germany in late 1910 following a lengthy return voyage. Shortly after his arrival, the researcher briefly talked about the cultural and ethnographic divisions of northern New Ireland, which yielded him a concise and only publication of the expedition during his lifetime. Walden was also nominated and received the Order of the Crown, Fourth Class, for his service in the Naval Expedition. The Baessler Foundation supported what was to become Walden’s monographic contribution to the venture with a monthly stipend of 150 marks, which in 1912 was raised to 200 marks. During this time, he continued purchasing duplicates from the Berlin divisions and distributed them to the Roemer Museum in Hildesheim, where he hoped to eventually gain regular employment. His Baessler funding would eventually run dry in late 1913. In anticipation, Walden informed the Berlin Museum that he was suffering from a muscular disorder that was causing temporal paralysis in his arms and legs. The doctor treating his ailment advised him to stop writing. However, his hopes for an extension were dashed when he was informed that funding would expire on October 31,1913 and that the author had to deliver his manuscript to the Berlin Museum. The next day, Walden appeared with a large box containing loose leaflets of notes and handed them to August Eichhorn, who had replaced Luschan at the helm of the Oceanic Division in Berlin. Throughout the following year, Eichhorn attempted to obtain more information from the ethnographer, who resolutely maintained that he completed his tasks.
When the Great War broke out in August 1914, Walden served in a volunteer infantry regiment on the Western Front. Shortly after the famed Christmas Truce—where pockets of British, French, and German soldiers suspended their fight for a few hours—the ethnographer was stationed near Cernay, Alsace. Volunteering as an emissary, he was killed in action on December 29, 1914. A few months after his death, Eichhorn contacted Gerda Walden, the ethnographer’s sister, to inquire about further papers and photographs about New Ireland in the estate. Walden’s sister provided additional material, and Eichhorn endeavored to compile a coherent narrative from the loose leaflets and diary notes that survived the Naval Expedition. When Elisabeth Krämer-Bannow published her Among the Artistic Cannibals of the South Sea about the Naval Expedition in 1916, Eichhorn employed his compilation of Walden’s notes to undermine her book:
The book’s content limits itself to describing their wanderings through central New Ireland. Rarely does it delve into lengthy discussions on the inhabitants’ customs and doings, and almost nowhere does one appreciate insights into the natives’ worldview. This absence is explained through a lack of understanding of local languages and the sheer rushed nature of the endeavor… Only Prof. [Augustin] Krämer’s sparse scientific notes at the end of the book are of any noteworthy ethnographic value.
Eichhorn contrasted the book with his careful compilation of Walden’s notes, supposedly brimming with ethnographic detail and insights. Nevertheless, the manuscript he forwarded to the journal Baessler Archiv did not appear in 1917 as planned. A paper shortage in Germany towards the end of World War One prevented dissemination. It took over twenty years, in 1940, during yet another global conflict, for a significantly reduced version of less than 30 pages of Walden’s research to see the light of publication.
The first pages of Nevermann/Walden’s publication
Further Readings:
Beaulieu, Jean-Philippe. Uli: Powerful Ancestors from the Pacific. Bornival, Bel.: Primedia, 2021, pp. 71-94.
Buschmann, Rainer F. Anthropology’s Global Histories: The Ethnographic Frontier in German New Guinea, 1870-1935. Honolulu: University of Hawai`i Press, 2008, pp. 113-117, 130-136
________________. Hoarding New Guinea: Writing Coloniual Ethnographic Collection Stories for Postcolonial Futures. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2023, pp. 81, 158-166.
Lang, Sabine and Andrea Nicklisch. Den Sammlern auf der Spur. Provenienzforschung zu kolonialen Kontexten am Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum Hildesheim 2017/2018. Heidelberg: arthistoricum.net, 2021, pp. 53-71.
Walden, Edgar and Hans Nevermann, “Totenfeiern und Malagane von Nord-Neumecklenburg” Zeitschrift für Ethnologie 72 (1940), pp. 11-38.