The East African nation Receives Valuable Artefacts Following a 100-Year Residence in German Hands
A total of Twelve cultural objects were formally returned to Ethiopia after being kept by a household from Germany for in excess of 100 years.
The artefacts, initially collected in the 1920s by Germany's representative to Ethiopia a German envoy and his spouse his partner, were transferred on midweek to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at the university in Addis Ababa.
The set contained headpieces, armor and artistic works, each considered as historically valuable in Ethiopia.
"The items continue to represent a emblem of the enduring and positive ties between the German nation and the Ethiopian people," remarked Ferdinand von Weyhe, Germany's ambassador to the East African country.
Dr. Ramon Wyss, whose father was born during the family's diplomatic posting in the nation, delivered the items at a event attended by the Minister of Tourism Selamawit Kassa.
He explained that the family's aim to restore the items was to "share their splendor with the public and maintain the culture and past tied to my father's birth."
These artefacts were either donations or purchases, according to the household.
"I would like to thank Professor Weiss's family for concretely showing their profound love for the nation by meticulously preserving these treasures and crucially securing their homecoming to their proper nation," commented the tourism minister.
She noted that the pieces would in the near future be available to the general audience for research and educational purposes, describing the action a milestone in protecting the nation's cultural heritage.
"Actions persist to return old objects that are located in the hands of private persons and institutions all over the world," the minister stated.
During imperial control in Africa, thousands of traditional artefacts were taken.
This request by nations in Africa for the return of taken objects has been answered with some progress in lately - even if a number of artefacts are merely on temporary return.
In two years ago, Germany was the initial state to return a portion of the well-known Benin artifacts to the West African nation in a bid to address its "dark colonial history."
Related Topics
- Cultural Restoration Efforts in Africa
- The Significance of Imperial History on Contemporary African Heritage
- International Movements for the Return of Stolen Items
