Germany wants to transfer ownership of all Benin bronzes

The Benin bronzes are a symbol of looted property from colonial times.

Now Germany wants to overwrite the property rights to the valuable art objects.

This is just a first step.

Abuja / Berlin - With an unprecedented step, Germany wants to transfer ownership of the Benin bronzes, which are considered looted goods from the colonial era, to the Nigerian negotiating partners. In a memorandum of understanding, the key points were signed by representatives of both sides in the Nigerian capital Abuja. In addition, “substantial returns” are planned. Details are expected to be agreed at the next meeting in December, as the German Press Agency in Berlin learned from the negotiating delegation.

The ornate Benin bronzes are currently at the center of heated debates about returns. Most of the objects come from the British looting in 1897. They are works of art from the palace of what was then the Kingdom of Benin. Around 1100 bronzes can be found in numerous German museums, and they are also to be shown in the Berlin Humboldt Forum. The most important holdings can be found in the Linden-Museum (Stuttgart), the Museum am Rothenbaum (Hamburg), the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum (Cologne), the Ethnographic Museums in Dresden / Leipzig and the Ethnological Museum in Berlin.

The declaration of intent was signed by the German delegation and Nigerian representatives on Wednesday in Abuja, said the West African country's information and culture minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Thursday. "The German government and the German people have taken a courageous step by declaring their willingness to return the artifacts voluntarily and without great coercion on the part of Nigeria," said the minister.

From the point of view of Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, to which the Ethnological Museum Berlin also belongs, there is “quite a dynamic” in the talks. "We expect a return visit in December, this is a very dense cycle and is becoming more and more specific." A cooperation is planned that encompasses many aspects. “It's not just about returns, but also about developing a completely new form of cooperation for the future. Restitution is the beginning and not the end of a collaboration, ”Parzinger told the dpa.

At the same time, because of the complicated conditions in Germany, it is clear: “The respective museums and their sponsors, states or municipalities, of course, decide for themselves about their collections.” Initially, efforts are concentrated on the five German museums with larger holdings of Benin bronzes and their sponsors .

"We want to begin with the transfer of ownership in the course of next year," said Parzinger.

Both sides agree that Benin bronzes should continue to be shown in German museums.

That is also in the joint declaration.

"Which and under which circumstances must be worked out in detail in further cooperation and requires the consent of the Nigerian side." It is not just about return, but also about partnership and exchange.

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Parzinger also sees prospects for other negotiations: "That could become a model for dealing with looted colonial art, in which future-oriented ways are developed on the basis of a difficult past." Dpa