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Africa Hails the Return of Benin Bronzes, But Questions Remain

Priceless artifacts taken from African nations during Germany's colonial period will be permanently returned. After a century of restitution claims, Germany is transferring ownership of 1,130 bronzes to Nigeria, a groundbreaking step in the return of looted art.

The artifacts are from the Linden Museum in Stuttgart, the Berlin Humboldt Forum, the Cologne Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum, the Hamburg Museum for World Cultures, and the State Ethnographic Collections of Saxony.

The valuable artifacts - sculptures and reliefs made of bronze and brass, as well as works made of ivory, coral, and wood - were stolen from the former Kingdom of Benin by the British in a brutal punitive expedition in 1897. The royal palace from pre-colonial times was razed to the ground, and Benin City, in what is now northern Nigeria, was almost completely destroyed.

Although there is excitement about the return of cultural artifacts to Africa, there are still questions surrounding the payment of compensation. There are calls for monetary compensation, too.

InFocus

BenjaminBischof/DW

The queen heads, such as the one seen in this picture, are particularly impressive.

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