DREAMSEA: Celebrating Seven Years of Preservation and Ushering in a New Chapter!
Hamburg, April 11, 2025 – The Digital Repository of Endangered and Affected Manuscripts in Southeast Asia (DREAMSEA) has marked the successful completion of its initial seven-year program. This significant endeavor is a collaborative effort between PPIM Jakarta and the CSMC at the University of Hamburg, made possible by the generous support of the Arcadia Fund.
The event served as a platform to showcase the program’s diverse achievements, present a comprehensive evaluation, and outline the vision for its upcoming second phase. These insights were shared directly by Principal Investigators Professor Oman Fathurahman and Professor Jan van der Putten, alongside Assistant PI Professor Elsa Clavé and the entire dedicated DREAMSEA team from both PPIM Jakarta and CSMC Hamburg.
Over the past seven years, DREAMSEA has achieved remarkable milestones, digitizing an impressive 579,562 images from 8,790 manuscripts, encompassing 164 distinct collections and 56 field missions. This extensive work has illuminated the rich tapestry of Southeast Asia’s textual heritage, revealing a stunning diversity that includes 28 languages, 27 scripts, 20 types of writing materials, and insights into 6 religious systems. The entire digitized collection is readily accessible to researchers and the public through the online repository at dreamsea.co/repository.
The forum was also honored by the presence of esteemed advisory board members, including Dr. Annabel Teh Gallop, and the virtual participation of Professor Grabowsky and Professor Jamhari Maruf, who offered their valuable perspectives and vision for DREAMSEA II. First-hand experiences and insights from the DREAMSEA staff were eloquently shared by Abdullah Maulani, Lilis Shofiyanti, and Ilham Nurwansah.
The event was warmly received by a wide range of colleagues, researchers, and invited guests, including representatives from the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hamburg and the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Berlin, Germany, as well as international experts and researchers from various disciplines.
Looking ahead, DREAMSEA II is poised to launch in July of this year, promising an exciting new chapter in the exploration and digitization of Southeast Asia’s intellectual heritage. This next phase will place a strong emphasis on the cultural diversity embedded within the context of these invaluable manuscripts, which stand as a legacy for communities across the region. Continued support from various stakeholders ensures the enduring impact of this noble mission for generations to come. Stay tuned for the ongoing journey of DREAMSEA!
