[ad_1]
Berlin: In a move that many considered as a salve for the historical wounds between Europe and Africa, Germany Last December, it restored 22 artifacts looted during the colonial era to what it is now. Nigeria.
But five months later, questions are being raised in Germany about whether cultural custodians were wise to hand over the priceless treasure, known as the Benin bronzes.
The controversy erupted after outgoing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buharisuddenly announced in March that the artifacts would be returned to the traditional ruler – and not to the Nigerian state, as Germany had expected.
The recipient named by Buhari is oppa Benin, a descendant of the king who ruled the Kingdom of Benin when the British looted the bronzes at the end of the nineteenth century.
Buhari’s statement said that “guardianship of any bronzes returned should be handed over to Oba”, who would be “responsible for the administration of all places” where they were held.
Buhari’s announcement was one of his final moves in office before Paula Tinubu succeeded him after the elections.
But it has sparked soul-searching in Germany, which critics say appears to breach a key understanding with Nigeria.
Under the July 2022 agreement, Germany promised to return about 1,100 bronzes from its 20 museums, and both sides agreed on the importance of making the works available to the public.
Underlying this were plans to display the bronzes in a new museum in Benin City, in southern Edo state.
Saxony held off on further entitlements pending clarification as to whether Ubba’s ownership would affect the public display of the bronze statues.
The Grassi Museum in Saxony was among five museums to hand over 22 bronzes in December and other museums in the state still have 262.
A spokesman for the Saxon Ministry of Culture told AFP before proceeding to return them, the state wants to “wait and see the impact of this declaration (…) and how the new government will proceed”.
“We will not take any new steps,” he said, before clarifying the situation.
Asked about Buhari’s announcement, State Department spokesman Christopher Burger said the return of the bronzes was “not subject to conditions.”
“It is the decision of the sovereign state of Nigeria to do what it wants,” he said, adding that “it is important to us that the public continues to reach the Benin bronze.”
Culture Minister Claudia Roth said she was “surprised and outraged” by the response to the ad in Germany.
“What happens to the bronze now is for the current owner to decide, and that is the sovereign state of Nigeria,” she told broadcaster ZDF.
Hermann Parzinger, head of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK), which runs the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, said he did not think Buhari’s announcement put future restitution in doubt.
The Ethnological Museum houses some 530 historical artifacts from the ancient Kingdom of Benin, including more than 400 bronzes – considered the most important collection outside the British Museum in London.
The Museum of Ethnology in Hamburg is also among the German museums that returned the first slide of the bronze in December.
It has signed a deal to return 179 artifacts from its collection to Nigerian ownership, though a third of them will remain in Hamburg.
The museum told AFP it “trusts its Nigerian partners”.
Aba Issa Tijani, who heads the Nigerian government agency responsible for the recovery of looted works, said the museum project to be located in Benin City was not affected by the announcement.
“The building of the museum is still standing,” he said.
He added, “Oba Benin depends on this museum. Nothing has changed because it does not have the staff or experience to run the museum.”
“We want to reassure our partners, the museums in Europe” that the pieces “will be made available to researchers, to museums and to tourists,” Tijani said.
“The artifacts, of course, cannot be sold, because in Nigeria it is forbidden to sell Nigerian antiquities.”
Biju Layola, a Nigerian art historian and artist who has been heavily involved in the battle to get the bronzes back, said Western museums have been overreacting to the announcement.
“It’s an excuse… not to return those artifacts, because they didn’t want to return them,” she said.
But five months later, questions are being raised in Germany about whether cultural custodians were wise to hand over the priceless treasure, known as the Benin bronzes.
The controversy erupted after outgoing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buharisuddenly announced in March that the artifacts would be returned to the traditional ruler – and not to the Nigerian state, as Germany had expected.
The recipient named by Buhari is oppa Benin, a descendant of the king who ruled the Kingdom of Benin when the British looted the bronzes at the end of the nineteenth century.
Buhari’s statement said that “guardianship of any bronzes returned should be handed over to Oba”, who would be “responsible for the administration of all places” where they were held.
Buhari’s announcement was one of his final moves in office before Paula Tinubu succeeded him after the elections.
But it has sparked soul-searching in Germany, which critics say appears to breach a key understanding with Nigeria.
Under the July 2022 agreement, Germany promised to return about 1,100 bronzes from its 20 museums, and both sides agreed on the importance of making the works available to the public.
Underlying this were plans to display the bronzes in a new museum in Benin City, in southern Edo state.
Saxony held off on further entitlements pending clarification as to whether Ubba’s ownership would affect the public display of the bronze statues.
The Grassi Museum in Saxony was among five museums to hand over 22 bronzes in December and other museums in the state still have 262.
A spokesman for the Saxon Ministry of Culture told AFP before proceeding to return them, the state wants to “wait and see the impact of this declaration (…) and how the new government will proceed”.
“We will not take any new steps,” he said, before clarifying the situation.
Asked about Buhari’s announcement, State Department spokesman Christopher Burger said the return of the bronzes was “not subject to conditions.”
“It is the decision of the sovereign state of Nigeria to do what it wants,” he said, adding that “it is important to us that the public continues to reach the Benin bronze.”
Culture Minister Claudia Roth said she was “surprised and outraged” by the response to the ad in Germany.
“What happens to the bronze now is for the current owner to decide, and that is the sovereign state of Nigeria,” she told broadcaster ZDF.
Hermann Parzinger, head of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK), which runs the Ethnological Museum in Berlin, said he did not think Buhari’s announcement put future restitution in doubt.
The Ethnological Museum houses some 530 historical artifacts from the ancient Kingdom of Benin, including more than 400 bronzes – considered the most important collection outside the British Museum in London.
The Museum of Ethnology in Hamburg is also among the German museums that returned the first slide of the bronze in December.
It has signed a deal to return 179 artifacts from its collection to Nigerian ownership, though a third of them will remain in Hamburg.
The museum told AFP it “trusts its Nigerian partners”.
Aba Issa Tijani, who heads the Nigerian government agency responsible for the recovery of looted works, said the museum project to be located in Benin City was not affected by the announcement.
“The building of the museum is still standing,” he said.
He added, “Oba Benin depends on this museum. Nothing has changed because it does not have the staff or experience to run the museum.”
“We want to reassure our partners, the museums in Europe” that the pieces “will be made available to researchers, to museums and to tourists,” Tijani said.
“The artifacts, of course, cannot be sold, because in Nigeria it is forbidden to sell Nigerian antiquities.”
Biju Layola, a Nigerian art historian and artist who has been heavily involved in the battle to get the bronzes back, said Western museums have been overreacting to the announcement.
“It’s an excuse… not to return those artifacts, because they didn’t want to return them,” she said.
[ad_2]
