Under the crackle of lightning, the precious bronze was handed over to Nigeria on Tuesday. This stool was used for the coronation of Oba of Benin. The carvings tell a lot about the Bini people and their beliefs, but also about certain historical events.”
At the end of August, the collection of over 1,000 works from German museums began. According to Minister Annalena Beerbock, the first step for Germany is to recognize “its dark colonial history”. “It was a mistake to take these works. It was a mistake to keep them for over 120 years.”
This museum diplomacy also aims to make Germany a special partner for Nigeria, especially for the training of museum staff and future research projects. It’s one thing to look back, but we are here as political representatives, as a society, to shape the future together. ”
In any case, some of the works remain in German museums on permanent loan.