Wenzao Translation Team Joins Launch of Chinese Edition of Travels in the East Indies

On December 12, the National Taiwan Library and the Center for Taiwan Culture and Literature Studies at the Faculty of East Asian Studies of Ruhr University Bochum jointly held the book launch and symposium for the complete Chinese translation of Travels in the East Indies at the university library in Germany. The event marked not only the first public presentation of the full Traditional Chinese edition, but also symbolized in-depth dialogue and collaboration between Taiwanese and European academia in the fields of early global history and Taiwan studies.

Originally written in the 17th century by Dutch East India Company mercenary Albrecht Herport, this work documents Taiwan and the coastal regions of South and Southeast Asia in Early New High German and represents an important historical source. The National Taiwan Library collaborated with the translation team from the Department of German at Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages to produce the complete Chinese translation, complemented by a full-color facsimile of the original text, thereby enhancing its international academic and cultural visibility.

During the event in Germany, faculty members and students from Taiwan and Germany engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including the practical challenges of translation, the philological study of place names and material culture, and the historical interactions between East Asia and Europe in the 17th century. The event attracted significant attention and lively participation.

Special recognition is extended to the members of the translation team from the Department of German at Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages for their outstanding contributions to both the translation project and the book launch:

• Dr. Shoou-Huey Chang
• Dr. Xin Zhou
• Dr. Christian Richter
• Dr. Ingo Tamm
• Dr. André Maertens

Their efforts have made a significant contribution to the study of Taiwan’s cultural history and have successfully demonstrated the academic professionalism and international engagement of Wenzao’s German Department on the global stage.