The Single Bretheren's House in Bethlehem is part of the Bethlehem World Heritage site. Photo by Nick Chismar ’20
Rollmann to be honored at the inaugural conference on Moravian history at Moravian University on Nov. 12–14, 2026
BETHLEHEM, PA, U.S.A.—November 4, 2026—Today, Moravian University and The Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage announced that Hans Rollmann, professor emeritus at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, will receive the David Schattschneider Award for Excellence in Moravian History during the Institute’s inaugural conference on Moravian history, Nov. 12–14, 2026 at Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Rollmann is being recognized for his contributions to the study of the Moravian Church’s history in Labrador, as well as his significant work documenting, preserving, and interpreting Moravian heritage in the region.
Rollmann is professor emeritus of the Department of Religion and Culture at Memorial University. Since earning his PhD at McMaster University in 1979, Rollmann has published extensively in English and German on a wide range of topics in religious and cultural history. He is best known, however, for his groundbreaking research on the history of the Moravian Church in Labrador. Through decades of academic research, scholarly publications, archival investigation, and public heritage initiatives Rollmann has significantly shaped and deepened the understanding of the history of the Moravian Church in Labrador, its encounters with Inuit communities, and its enduring religious and cultural legacy. Seeking close cooperation with Inuit and Moravian stakeholders, Rollmann has become a well-respected expert and advocate, as well as a trusted friend of the local Moravian communities in Labrador.
His publications include more than 150 articles and several books, including Labrador Through Moravian Eyes: 250 Years of Art, Photographs & Records (2002), and Moravian Beginnings in Labrador (2009), a conference volume that includes the papers from a scholarly symposium held in Makkovik and Hopedale, exploring aspects of the cultural exchange between Moravian missionaries and indigenous people in the arctic. Rollmann has also examined the role the Moravians played in education in Labrador, the music practice in native Moravian communities, and early histories of the Moravian missions. One of his most recent articles in the Journal of Moravian History examines a conversation between an Inuk Moravian named Mikak and the Princess of Wales.
The Schattschneider Award recognizes the importance of Rollmann’s scholarship for preserving the stories, experiences, and intellectual traditions that have shaped the Moravian communities in Labrador over generations.
About the Award
The David Schattschneider Award of Academic Excellence is presented to individuals who exemplify the mission of the Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage “to advance the understanding of Moravian history and cultural preservation through rigorous academic research, education, and public engagement.” It honors the lifetime achievement of scholars who have made significant contributions to the field of Moravian studies over the course of their academic career, promoting both the historical understanding of the Moravian tradition and its interpretation for the life of the Moravian Church and the larger public.
Media Contact(s)
Michael Corr
Moravian University
Bethlehem, PA, U.S.A.
Email: corrm@moravian.edu
Phone: 610.861.1365
The Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage
Katie Faull
Vice President, Institute for Moravian History and World Heritage
Site Manager, Moravian Church Settlements—Bethlehem
Email: worldheritage@moravian.edu
Phone: 610.861.1596
About Moravian University
Moravian University, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States is the nation’s sixth-oldest university and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates. For more than 280 years, the university has been preparing students for reflective lives, fulfilling careers, and transformative leadership in a world of change. Moravian University is a member of The New American Colleges and Universities (NACU), a national consortium of private comprehensive colleges and universities working together to graduate extraordinary professionals for a global workforce and society.
In 2024, Moravian University became part of a World Heritage designation when Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem, Gracehill (Northern Ireland, UK), and Herrnhut (Saxony, Germany) joined Christiansfeld (Denmark) as a single World Heritage Site—Moravian Church Settlements. Moravian is just the second university in the United States to be part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and only the eighth university in the world to have this recognition.
Visit moravian.edu to learn more about how Moravian University prepares its students for lifelong success.