Ethiopia Welcomes Historic Items After a Century Residence in a German Family
Around 12 cultural artefacts were ceremoniously restored to the Ethiopian nation after remaining by a German family for in excess of ten decades.
The items, first gathered in the 1920s by the German then-envoy to Ethiopia a German envoy and his wife Hedwig, were handed over on midweek to the research center at the capital's university.
The collection included crowns, protective shields and paintings, each viewed as culturally valuable in the country.
"The artefacts continue to stand as a emblem of the enduring and amicable ties between the German nation and Ethiopia," stated the German diplomat, the ambassador to Ethiopia.
Dr. a professor, whose parent was delivered during the household's service in the nation, handed over the items at a gathering joined by the Minister of Tourism Selamawit Kassa.
He explained that the family's goal to give back the treasures was to "display their splendor with the public and preserve the culture and history linked to my father's birth."
These artefacts were either considered presents or acquisitions, as stated by the household.
"I want to express gratitude to Professor Weiss's family for concretely showing their deep appreciation for Ethiopia by carefully preserving these items and vitally securing their return to their proper homeland," said the official.
She added that the artefacts would in the near future be opened to the general audience for study and academic study, calling the action a significant step in preserving the nation's historical legacy.
"Efforts persist to repatriate ancient items that are held in the hands of collectors and organizations throughout the planet," the minister said.
In the era of colonialism in Africa, many of traditional objects were looted.
The demand by nations in Africa for the return of taken objects has been responded to by a degree of success in recent years - although some items are merely on short-term display.
Back in two years ago, Germany was the pioneering nation to give back a selection of the well-known Benin artifacts to Nigeria as part of an effort to address its "dark colonial history."
Similar Topics
- Historical Repatriation Efforts in the Continent
- This Impact of Imperial History on Contemporary Ethiopian Culture
- International Campaigns for the Restitution of Looted Treasures
