They are still there, the last white areas on a map. Just off of the east coast of Papua-New Guinea, lies a hardly known island world. It is compelling thanks to its fascinating countryside, made up of jungles, volcanos and beaches. There are more than 200 islands in the Bismarck archipelago, most of them uninhabited.
In 1884, the archipelago was declared a German pro-tected area. The first German based Creole language emerged here. Linguistic professor Peter Maitz sifts through the colonial archives of Vunapope, in search of traces of the lost language and the last survivors still speaking this language. Then, as now, the people are dependent on fishery, coconut plantations and boat building. The dugout canoe is still one of the most important means of transport between the islands.
Hardly any other country is so untapped and alien as this island world. The archipelago has only been able to preserve its magic due to its enormous seclusion.