Jürgen Zimmerer Thousands of the objects were looted from Nigeria when the British Empire invaded the kingdom in 1897. Sculptures looted by British soldiers from the Kingdom of Benin in 1897 hangs on display in the 'Where Is Africa' exhibition at the Linden Museum on 5 May 2021. Photo: Getty Images/Thomas Niedermueller After years of pressure, Germany recently announced that an agreement had been reached to return hundreds of priceless artefacts and artworks that had been looted from Nigeria in colonial times and were on display in German museums. Commonly called the Benin Bronzes, these beautiful and technically remarkable artworks have come to symbolise the broader restitution debate.