Nias

The island of Nias ( indones.: Pulau Nias ) is one of Indonesia and is located 125 km off the west coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean, just north of the Equator.

Geography

The island is about 125 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide. Administratively it belongs to the province of North Sumatra. To the south lie the Batu Islands, in the north of Simeulue and the Banyak Islands.

Nias is of volcanic origin, 4771 km ² and has about 650,000 inhabitants.

The main town Gunungsitoli has about 74,000 inhabitants and is the center of the island for administration and business.

History

1669 the Dutch began to trade on the island. From an old megalithic still testify stone columns and stone coffins.

In the 19th century, many Niasser were enslaved. French priests came for the first time mid-19th century on the island to convert its inhabitants to Catholicism, but failed, as several priests fell victim to a poison attack.

German missionaries of the Rhenish Missionary Society in Wuppertal were the next to the 1865 ventured out into the island. They had more success. Henry Sundermann of Ladbergen at Münster was a missionary of the Rhenish Missionary Society on Nias since 1875. He had spent on Nias and spent countless hours researching the niassischen language 35. By 1939, approximately 80% of Niasser were Protestant. Many Niasser gave up their animist traditions such as headhunting and ancestor worship after Christianization. But in the tales many myths and stories are passed.

Special Events

1942, rescued 65 survivors after the sinking of Van Imhoff on the island.

Through a tsunami on 26 December 2004, the strong earthquake of magnitude 9 had not far to the north of the island triggered, died on the island more than 300 people.

Through another large earthquake on 28 March 2005, the strength of 8.7, followed by four -meter-high tsunami waves more than 600 people died and over 3,000 were injured. In the capital Gunungsitoli up to 80 % of the buildings were destroyed. The airport is also Gunungsitoli was heavily damaged.

From Germany came from the " auxiliary twin city " of Münster and the surrounding area until August 2005 on 650,000 euros in donations to the island. In Ludwigsburg formed after the tsunami disaster initiative, "Help for Nias ", which was sponsored jointly by the Social Service Agency of Ludwigsburg, Caritas and the county. Coordinator of this assistance was the head of the Social Service Agency work Ludwigsburg, deacon Horst sick, who had with his family from 1971 to 1976 as an ecumenical staff of the local Protestant church lived and worked on Nias. By December 2006, more than 225,000 euros were collected in donations.

Population

The population consists mainly of the indigenous Niassern who live on the island for over a thousand years. Your language ( niassisch: Li Niha ) belongs to the large Austronesian language family, which are most closely related languages, the Mentawai and the Batak languages ​​in North Sumatra. The Niasser were known as headhunters in Southeast Asia and were feared and shunned by the Europeans and Malays long time.

Today, more than 85% of Niasser Christians (80 % Protestant, 10% Catholic). The immigrant Batak and Chinese are to a large extent also Christians. Muslims are the Javanese, and Minangkabau Achinesen, but only less than 15 % of the population of Nias account.