Germany, historic decision: Benin bronzes from Humboldt Forum returned to Nigeria

Historic move by Germany: theHumboldt Forum in Berlin, the grand museum of world cultures that opened in December 2020, will not exhibit the collection of Benin bronzes, stolen by the British during their occupation of the kingdom of Benin in 1897 at the time of colonization and then later sold to different collections (the German ones are now part of the Humboldt Forum Ethnological Museum’s collection). The bronzes will in fact be returned to Nigeria, which in 2019 formally applied to Germany for their return. The move was anticipated last week by a trip to Benin City by Andreas Görgen, director general culture of Germany’s Foreign Ministry, to begin discussions with the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, to finalize arrangements on the return. The goal is to have the “German” bronzes returned to Benin City (the city where they were looted) for display at the soon-to-be-built Edo Museum of West African Art.

“As the Edo State government,” said Obaseki, “we are preparing to launch an independent trust, which will be participated in by the royal family, the Edo State government, the federal government and international stakeholders. This trust is to be transparently structured and appropriately financed to give rise to a series of actions related to these works and other activities.” Culture, the governor concluded, “is a living thing; the works of art we are discussing today are a repetition of our culture at some point in history. We believe that collaboration should be about not only returning the works but also understanding their meaning. There are so many things we have in common. The objects are yes from Benin but they are universal today.”

This is definitely an important collection: more than 400 bronzes that will thus be returned to Nigeria, and Germany has indicated that the German government will also provide technical advice, with even archaeological projects directly in the African country. The director of the Humboldt Forum, Hartmut Dorgerloh, let it be known that for now there are no formal decisions yet, and that the museum is waiting to hear official steps. “From what we know,” Dorgerloh said in a note, “the Benini bronzes were largely acquired illegally. What consequences the decisions will have for the already planned exhibition of the Benin bronzes at the Humboldt Forum is now a matter of discussion, and decisions will be made in consultation with our Nigerian partners. One thing is certain: we will adapt our original plans to address the injustice.” At a press conference yesterday, however, Dorgerloh made it known that the museum will not exhibit the originals for the time being, but will simply fill the spaces planned for the Benin bronzes with reproductions.

Germany, historic decision: Benin bronzes from Humboldt Forum returned to Nigeria

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.