Saturday 7 September 2013

Swedish Mission Project in East Turkistan (Xinjiang)

This project aims to make available online for the first time archive films and audio recordings on the Swedish Mission (Svenska Missionskyrkan) http://www.missionskyrkan.se/ in East Turkistan (Xinjiang), China. This archive was created by S L James during 2009 with assistance from Dr Enver Tohti and the Swedish Uyghur community as well as Swedish archivists and relatives of the missionaries in Sweden. The Mission was active in Kashgar, Yarkand and Yengi Hissar in East Turkistan from 1892 until 1938. The films date from 1930 to 1934 and audio recordings from 1955 to 1987. Archive Films (Silent):

  From Kashmir to Kashgar (1930-34) 15.44 By Otto Torvik [16mm film, Private Collection, Sweden] A film by Norwiegan missionary Otto Torvik recorded between 1930 and 1934 documenting his journey from Kashmir to Kashgar, East Turkistan (Xinjiang), China.

  Swedish Mission in East Turkistan (1930/31) 17.30 By Rikard Nystrom [9.5mm film, National Archives, Sweden] A film made in 1931 by Swedish missionary Rikard Nystrom documenting the missions journey to East Turkistan (Xinjiang), China to Yarkand.

  Ancient Silk Road: 100km Across the Plain (1931) 16.16 By Otto Torvik / Carl Persson [16mm film, Private Collection, Sweden] A film made in 1931 by Norwegian and Swedish missionaries Otto Torvik and Carl Persson. The film documents their journey from Kashgar to Ghulja in East Turkistan (Xinjiang), China.

  John Törnquist's East Turkistan Films (1931-1934) 31.55 By John Törnquist [9.5mm film, National Archives, Sweden] A series of films made between 1931 and 1934 by Swedish missionary John Tornquist in East Turkistan (Xinjiang), China. The films show Kashgar and in particular Hancheng, the Han Chinese settlement in Kashgar where he worked.

For more information, click HERE

2 comments:

G. said...

Fantastic! Thanks for your work in pulling these documents together. I am the great-grandson of Sigfrid Moen, one of the missionaries in Xinjiang, and so this was a real treasure throve!

Anonymous said...

Fascinating materials. Thanks! I really enjoyed watching them. I met an Uyghur Christian woman from Yerkand whose grandmother was Christian following these missionaries' teachings.