Poupou

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.

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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

Students at the University of Tübingen have been studying the history of pou and the world view of the Māori in depth in a seminar run by the Department of Ethnology. They offer 45-minute guided tours on Thursdays at 6 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, providing insights into the exhibition and its background.

Accompanying the exhibition, a series of lectures with various guest speakers will take place at the Museum of World Cultures in the pentagonal tower of Hohentübingen Castle. The lectures will be held in German.