The picture of Tabonteba village on the island of Nonouti served Dr. Koch as an exemplary representation of a traditional settlement of atoll dwellers in the Gilbert Islands.
![](https://oceania.uni-goettingen.de/files/VIII-D-10800_dxo_wp.jpg)
Decades later a clear change is visible. The place is surrounded by a sea wall, and a compound of the Kiribati Protestant Church (renamed to Kiribati Uniting Church in 2014) – with the church “Uotan Tebanikora”, the meeting house “Uotan ba n te meaeu” and a residential building for the pastor – was established on the reclaimed land.
![](https://oceania.uni-goettingen.de/files/12-13-SEP-029_dxo3_wp.jpg)