Germany returning some artefacts stolen from Nigeria during the colonial era

 Germany returning some artefacts stolen from Nigeria during the colonial era

• The artefacts are being held at Ethnological Museum in the German capital, Berlin.
• The question of the return of cultural goods is part of dealing honestly with colonial history, says Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
• All the 530 historical objects from the Benin kingdom, including 440 bronze items at the Ethnological Museum, will be reviewed by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK).

Germany is considering returning hundreds of items taken from Nigeria during the colonial era in a move that experts say will make the country a leader in repatriating colonial-era objects.

The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK), which manages Berlin’s museums, said in a statement that at a meeting on March 24, 2021, the Board of Trustees of the Foundation “exchanged views on, among other things, the handling of collection items from colonial contexts. It was also about the Benin bronzes.”

It added that “The state and federal representatives on the Board of Trustees agree that in the case of the Benin bronzes, a solution will be found that also considers the return of objects as an option.”

The Benin bronzes that once decorated the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin, present-day southern Nigeria, between the 16th and 18th centuries were looted by the British at the end of the 19th century and are now scattered around European museums.

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The Ethnological Museum in the German capital, Berlin, has in total 530 historical objects from the kingdom, including 440 bronzes considered to be the most essential collection outside London's British Museum.

In a tweet announcing the move, Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that “the question of the return of cultural goods is part of dealing honestly with colonial history. It is a question of justice”.

“In the case of the Benin bronzes, we are working with those involved in Nigeria and Germany to establish a common framework, especially in the museum cooperation with the planned Museum of West African Art in Benin City,” he added.

Zu einem aufrichtigen Umgang mit der Kolonialgeschichte gehört auch die Frage der Rückgabe von Kulturgütern. Das ist eine Frage der Gerechtigkeit. Dafür haben wir uns mit Bund, Ländern und Gemeinden in den Eckpunkten klare Ziele gesetzt. (1/2)

— Heiko Maas 🇪🇺 (@HeikoMaas) March 24, 2021

Germany may become the first European country to return to Nigeria sculptures looted by British troops from the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin in 1897. The move to permanently return the Benin bronzes has been hailed by African scholars and activists as a move that will galvanize further restitution of artefacts taken from former colonies and now held in Western museums.