Roth wants the return of Benin bronzes and collaborations

2022-01-11T14:03:42.262Z

Roth wants the return of Benin bronzes and collaborations Created: 01/11/2022, 02:55 PM Memorial heads of a king in the exhibition “Benin. Stolen History ”. © Daniel Reinhardt / dpa / archive image After a discussion with the museums concerned, the German government is sticking to the return of the Benin bronzes, which are considered colonial looted goods. "The crimes of the colonial era are a

Roth wants the return of Benin bronzes and collaborations

Created: 01/11/2022, 02:55 PM

Memorial heads of a king in the exhibition “Benin.

Stolen History ”.

After a discussion with the museums concerned, the German government is sticking to the return of the Benin bronzes, which are considered colonial looted goods.

"The crimes of the colonial era are a blank spot in our culture of remembrance and are still not anchored in the general consciousness today," said Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth on Tuesday after a video link with around 40 participants.

Berlin - Dealing with the Benin bronzes shows the determination to come to terms with the colonial legacy, said the Green politician.

Around 1100 of the ornate bronzes from the palace of the then Kingdom of Benin, which today belongs to Nigeria, can be found in around 20 German museums. Most of the objects come from the British looting in 1897. The federal government also aims to return substantial amounts in the coming year. Smaller museums in particular have so far not been involved in the talks.

"We will actively promote this process in close coordination with the Federal Foreign Office, the federal states, the municipal umbrella associations and, above all, the museums and institutions," said Roth. The forthcoming returns are "not a final line, but a starting point for future cooperation and for a stronger cultural exchange". Roth cited the joint training of museum managers and the planned agency for international museum cooperation as examples.

Last year, representatives from the federal government, Nigeria and museums announced the return of property rights.

The Linden Museum in Stuttgart, the Museum am Rothenbaum (Hamburg), the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum (Cologne), the Ethnological Museum Dresden / Leipzig and the Ethnological Museum Berlin have the most extensive collections.

These five houses are so far involved in the planned transfer of ownership.