F.M. Schnitger, Unveiler of Ancient Sites and Kingdoms on The Island of Sumatra

UNGKIT.COM – Frederic Martin Schnitger—often referred to as F.M. Schnitger—was an archaeologist from the Dutch East Indies, born on April 22, 1912, in Malang, East Java.

He achieved legendary status in Indonesia thanks to his dedication in leading various archaeological and anthropological expeditions across the island of Sumatra during the 1930s.

He was born to Dutch parents in Java (which was then part of the Dutch East Indies). His father owned a sugarcane plantation in Java, while his mother was a teacher.

Schnitger pursued studies in archaeology and Eastern languages ​​at Leiden University and later continued his doctoral studies at the University of Vienna, Austria.

He delved into Eastern languages, archaeology, and Southeast Asian history at Leiden University before earning his doctorate in ethnology from the University of Vienna in February 1938.

In 1935, he traveled to Sumatra to conduct archaeological research and helped establish the Palembang Museum. From 1935 to 1938, he served as a curator at the Palembang Museum.

Schnitger undertook challenging expeditions, traversing Sumatran jungles and swamps to study Hindu-Buddhist relics. His primary research areas included Padang Lawas (North Sumatra), Muara Takus (Riau), and sites in Palembang and Jambi.

Among his notable work, Schnitger studied menhirs and megalithic stone structures across the highlands stretching from West Sumatra to South Sumatra, specifically the Maek Valley and Pasemah megalithic sites.

In Riau, Schnitger studied the stone structures at the Muara Takus Temple Complex and estimated their construction to date back to around the 11th or 12th century AD.

In North Sumatra, he ventured into the wilderness to examine ancient Buddhist temple complexes (biaro)—relics of the Panai Kingdom—located in the Padang Lawas region.

The English-language version of his dissertation, titled The Archaeology of Hindoo Sumatra and published in Leiden in 1937, was warmly received by experts.

Furthermore, his book Forgotten Kingdoms in Sumatra, published in 1939, remains regarded to this day as a significant contribution to the archaeology and ethnography of Sumatra.

Schnitger’s legendary work—comprising the records and analytical findings of his expeditions documented in these books—serves as a vital reference that remains a standard source for the history of the Indonesian archipelago.

Frederic Martin Schnitger died at the Mauthausen concentration camp in the Danube region of Austria on April 23, 1945, during the Nazi era.

Prior to his death, Schnitger had been arrested and charged by the Gestapo with two offenses: deliberately and falsely accusing individuals of committing crimes, and engaging in espionage activities deemed dangerous to the German Reich. (*)

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