Germany s new history museum forced to decolonise after decision to hand back Benin Bronzes
Museum in rebuilt Kaiser s palace has lost Benin bronzes, opening a Pandora s Box over colonial-era artefacts
The Benin bronzes were looted from Nigeria by British forces
Credit: Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images Europe
The opening of Berlin’s newest and most spectacular museum is in danger of being overshadowed by a growing row over Germany’s colonial heritage and looted art.
The Humboldt Forum was supposed to be Berlin’s answer to the British Museum. Housed in a new reconstruction of the palace from which the Kaiser announced the start of the First World War, it aims to bring the non-European collections of the city’s many museums together in a new home.
Obaseki hosts German officials as Edo gets set to receive artefacts guardian.ng - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from guardian.ng Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Envoy assures Germany will return Bini stolen bronze
The bronze works, looted in the 1897 invasion of Bini Kingdom, have been on predominant display in museums across Europe
By
Thu May 20 2021
The President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Berlin, Herrmann Parzinger, has assured that the Republic of Germany will return the bronze artifacts looted during the 1897 invasion of Bini Kingdom.
Parzinger, who is also the chairman of Museums Holders of Benin bronzes said this when he led a five-man delegation to Edo State.
He said the visit has opened a vista of cultural relations between Germany and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Pandemic casts dark shadow over International Museum Day 1 minute read
Madrid, May 17 (EFE).- This year’s International Museum Day reflects the industry’s crisis after the coronavirus pandemic forced museums around the world to close their doors.
Normally a festive affair, this year’s edition, marked on May 18, carries the title The Future of Museums: Recovering and Reimagining, an indication of the challenges that lay ahead for the industry as the world emerges from the pandemic.
With restrictions still in place in many countries, nearly half of the world’s museums remain closed, according to the International Council of Museums.
In a new book, German historian Götz Aly reveals how a boat was taken from the South Pacific and ended up in a German museum. Will it spark a new restitution debate?