A commemorative event was held at the Sarawak State Library on 19 June 2026 to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of János Xántus, the Hungarian naturalist, traveller and scholar. During the event, a carved Hungarian kopjafa and commemorative plaque dedicated to Xántus were unveiled in the library garden, and the volume Xántus and Borneo: A 19th-Century Hungarian Naturalist on the Island of Borneo was officially presented.
The book makes Xántus’s writings, observations and scientific legacy from his 1870 journey to Sarawak accessible in both Hungarian and English. Its editors include Dr Tamas Kiss, Professor at Sunway University in Malaysia, Dr Balázs Venkovits of the University of Debrecen, and Mr Christopher Higgs of Goethe-Institut Borneo Parentis. The volume is the result of academic collaboration between Sunway University and the University of Debrecen, a partnership that began in 2022 and was renewed last year for a further five years.
This cooperation has helped bring renewed attention to the Bornean legacy of János Xántus, while also opening the way for further research on Hungarian connections with Malaysia. A new book is already in preparation on the life and work of Ferenc Witti, one of the major 19th-century explorers of Sabah, Malaysia.
At the Kuching event, Dr Tamas Kiss and Christopher Higgs gave a book presentation outlining the historical, cultural and scientific significance of Xántus’s Sarawak journey. The commemoration was initiated and organised by Dr Sándor Sipos, Ambassador of Hungary to Malaysia, further strengthening cultural and academic ties between Hungary and Malaysia.
The event was also attended by Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak’s Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, who emphasised the importance of bilateral relations between Sarawak and Hungary. Speakers noted that while Sarawak’s history often highlights figures such as Alfred Russel Wallace and the Brooke family, Xántus’s work reminds us that other European researchers, including Hungarians, also contributed to the 19th-century understanding of Borneo.
Author: Dr Tamas Kiss
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