An article by Professor Emerita Brigitta Hauser-Schäublin, published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, is currently sparking public debate. In it, she refers to a decree issued by the outgoing Nigerian President Mohammedu Buhari, which came to light in April 2023, in which he orders that all restituted Benin artefacts be transferred to Oba Ewuare II. The article has raised fears among some that the works returned by Germany might disappear into private ownership, be withheld from the public, and that their security would no longer be guaranteed. The article questions the validity and wisdom of the restitution of Benin bronzes. In the media, the returns from German museums have even been described as a “fiasco”. Barbara Plankensteiner, Director of the Museum am Rothenbaum, comments:
“President Buhari’s statement was issued shortly before the end of his term of office and, to our knowledge, has not yet come into force because there is a need for clarification on this matter within Nigeria as well. The new government will take office at the end of May 2023; only then can discussions on this matter begin. In my view, there is currently no reason to assume that the new government intends to deviate from the intention jointly declared by Nigeria and Germany on 1 July 2022 to continue making the works accessible to the public. Likewise, the restitution agreement signed on 16 December 2022 between the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and Nigeria, including the procedures and loan conditions set out therein, remains valid. Furthermore, there is no question in my mind that the return of the Benin Bronzes was right and important. The violent colonial context in which the works were looted is undeniable. In recognition of this injustice, the works were returned to Nigeria unconditionally.
It is not our place to dictate their whereabouts within Nigeria or the further procedure. Restitutions have been prevented for decades by patronising attitudes of this kind and racist prejudices. It is not surprising that restitutions on this scale are now triggering a great deal of activity and, above all, important negotiation processes, both in Nigeria and in Germany. This underlines once again the great significance of this return. We remain in close contact with all parties in Nigeria and will help to set in motion the new culture of cooperation that we have jointly promised. The restitution was not a fiasco.”
