Archaeological news: British Museum rejects call to return historical objects | UK | News

Some 440 bronze sculptures are currently kept at the Ethnological Museum in Berlin. However, it has been announced that they will now be sent back to Nigeria, with a plan to display them in a newly opened German museum being scrapped.

This has increased pressure on the British Museum in London and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford to hand over the Beninese sculptures they own.

The sculptures were seized in 1897 by a British military expedition that shattered the centuries-old Benin empire.

British troops burned and looted Benin City, the empire’s capital, and took away artifacts that ended up in European and American museums.

The British Museum in London currently has the largest collection in the world.

However, Nigerian academics called on him to follow the example of the ethnological museum and send them to Nigeria.

A spokesperson for the British Museum replied: “The devastation and looting inflicted on Benin City during the British military expedition of 1897 is fully recognized by the museum and the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of Beninese objects explained in the panels. from the gallery and on the museum’s website.

“We believe that the strength of the British Museum’s collection lies in its breadth and depth, enabling millions of visitors to understand the cultures of the world and how they interconnect over time – whether through commerce, migration, conquest or peaceful exchange. “

In 1897, a force of 1,200 men from the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy and the Niger Coast Protectorate Forces invaded the Benin Empire and captured its capital.

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This was started after a previous British invasion was attacked in what has come to be known as the “Benin Massacre”.

British troops seized 2,500 works of art from the town, many of which were later auctioned off to help pay for the shipment.

Earlier this month, Andreas Gorgen, who heads the cultural department of the German Foreign Ministry, visited Nigeria to discuss the return of the artifacts from Benin.

Speaking to the Guardian, Victor Ehikhamenor, director of the Legacy Restoration Trust in Nigeria, called the move “extremely important”.

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He added: “If Germany follows through on these plans, then any European country that retains the Benin bronzes no longer has a moral foundation to rely on.

“The time has come for the British Museum to finally join this debate.

“The current situation is like a thief stole your watch and sold it to a pawnshop, but the pawnshop refuses to turn it over to the police. It does not mean anything.”

Nigeria hopes to open a new museum to house the sculptures with David Adjaye, an Anglo-Ghanaian architect, having drawn the plans.

The British Museum is also facing calls to return the Elgin Marbles, which were acquired by Scottish aristocrat Lord Elgin, to Athens.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said: “For Greece, the British Museum does not have the rightful ownership or possession of the sculptures.”

The Greek government hoped the sculptures would be moved to Athens to mark the 200th anniversary of Greek independence this year.

However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson opposed the move.

Speaking to a Greek newspaper, he said: “I understand the strong feelings of the Greek people, and indeed of Prime Minister Mitsotakis, on the issue.

“But the British government has a long standing firm position on the sculptures that they were legally acquired by Lord Elgin under the appropriate laws of the day and are legally owned by administrators of the British Museum since their acquisition.