Poupou
Special exhibition from July 25th to November 2nd, 2025
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
July 25th to November 2nd, 2025
ADDRESS
MUT | Museum Ancient Cultures
Burgsteige 11 | 72070 Tübingen
OPENING HOURS
Wed to Sun from 10am to 5pm
Thurs from 10am to 7pm
GUIDED TOURS
On request
CONTACT
museum[at]uni-tuebingen.de | +49 7071-29 77579
Te Pou o Hinematioro – Celebrating Māori Heritage, Culture and Connection
The Exhibition
The exhibition was created in close collaboration between the Māori community Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti from Ūawa/Tolaga Bay (New Zealand) and the University of Tübingen. At its heart stands the carved pou Hinematioro Pou, which came to Europe in 1769 during James Cook’s first voyage. For the community, it is far more than an exhibit – it embodies ancestors, genealogy (whakapapa), spiritual authority (mana), and cultural treasures (taonga).
Since its rediscovery in the 1990s, the pou has linked two continents. In 2019, it returned to Ūawa for the first time and was welcomed as if it were coming home. Other taonga – such as flax baskets (kete), a jade club (mere), and hair combs (heru) – together with films, interviews, and voices from the community, provide insights into cultural identity and spiritual power.
The exhibition takes place in the Rittersaal of Hohentübingen Castle, where the pou is presented within an abstract meeting house (wharenui). It is accompanied by loans from the Tairāwhiti Museum and from the Māori community of Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti.
Download Folder(PDF; 2,18 MB)
Cooperation Partners
The exhibition was made possible through close collaboration between the Department of Ethnology at the Asia-Orient Institute and the Museum of the University of Tübingen, together with the Tairāwhiti Museum, the Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti Centre of Excellence Trust, and the Tolaga Bay Area School. Together, they have created a place where Māori heritage comes alive, connecting past, present, and future.
Opening
Thursday, 23 October 2025, 6:00 p.m., with guests from Tübingen and friends from the Māori community Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti in New Zealand.
MUT | Museum of Ancient Cultures | Hohentübingen Castle
Burgsteige 11 | 72070 Tübingen
Exhibition venue
MUT | Ancient Cultures
Burgsteige 11
72070 Tübingen
Opening hours
Wed to Sun 10am to 5pm
Thurs 10am to 7pm
Admission
Adult: 5 €
Reduced: 3 € (children, students, retirees, disabled)
Family ticket: 12 €
Students of the University of Tübingen: free
Contact
Tel.: +49 (0)7071 29 77579