Papua New Guinea Mission Museum
The missionary efforts of Neuendettelsau that led to the establishment of Wartburg Seminary are also the roots of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea. After the outbreak of World War I when aid from Germany was cut off, including the sending of new missionaries, the small Lutheran church of Australia, struggling to hold the large mission field in New Guinea, sent cultural artifacts to the seminary in Dubuque in an effort to interest American missionaries in the Papua New Guinea work. This original collection has received additions over the years and is housed in Fritschel Hall.
Several hundred works of art, weapons, pieces of jewelry, photographs and household objects document a culture from pre-missionary times. The museum is a tangible link with Wartburg Seminary’s heritage of mission education, as well as an invaluable resource for researchers and interested groups and individuals.
The seminary welcomes inquiries as to gifts of artifacts that would enhance the collection.
