Benin Bronzes. Restitution and what now?

A conversation with Kate Akhadelor and Joseph Alonge from the National Museum Benin City, who advised and supported the mediators of the National Museums in Berlin for two months as part of a residency at the German institution.

The Benin Bronzes, looted by the British in 1897, have become a global symbol for the hundreds of thousands of cultural artifacts from Africa that were illegally appropriated by European colonial powers and displayed in museums.

In June 2021, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation decided to restore the bronzes to Nigeria. From the beginning of August to the end of September 2022, the specialists Kate Akhadelor and Joseph Alonge, together with colleagues from Berlin, explored the question of how to continue after the restitution and how the topic can be elaborated for visitors.

This also resulted in the multi-perspective guided tour "The Benin Bronzes", which takes place regularly at the Humboldt Forum.

These videos are currently shown in tablets by educators and guides during tours and school workshops at the exhibition spaces.