Schlagwort: Cultural Heritage
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Efforts stalling on colonial legacies
This article analyses the German government’s response to a recent parliamentary inquiry in the Bundestag. The record on coming to terms with colonial legacies after more than a year of the present coalition government is meagre. Minister of State Weimer’s colonialism concept, announced for autumn 2026, is intended to provide details on how the “dignified…
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Will the restitution to Cameroon begin now?
This text examines the repatriation of ancestral remains belonging to the Maka community in Cameroon from Freiburg, which is expected to take place in mid-July 2026. This could mark a breakthrough for the comprehensive restitution of Cameroonian cultural heritage from Germany. Cameroon’s Minister of Culture has announced a framework document for all communities, designed to…
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Togo establishes restitution committee
This text deals with the establishment of a restitution committee by the Togolese government. Its purpose is to recover cultural heritage and ancestral remains that were appropriated by foreign actors, primarily during German colonial rule. The problem is that Germany is not adequately prepared for talks with Togo and other former colonies to come to…
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The ancestors are not (yet) allowed to return
This text informs about a new episode of the podcast ‘Decolonial Memories’ with Sirili and Tony Molelia from Kibosho/Tanzania (English & Kiswahili). They travelled to Germany to encounter their ancestors and cultural belongings that were stolen by German colonial troops. In a statement, the family formulates demands for restitution and reparations by Germany.
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„Culture as a weapon“
The text analyses the AfD’s election manifesto for the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September 2026. It highlights the central role of cultural policy in societal restructuring sought by the party and shows how this is linked to a refusal to critically examine colonialism.
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Burundi: Forgotten Colony of German East Africa
This text focuses on an episode of the podcast Decolonial Memories with Jean Berchmans Ndihokubwayo, a historian from Burundi. He talks about the entangled history between his country and Germany, the former coloniser.
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Cultural heritage of the Nso in Germany
This text informs about a new episode on podcast Decolonial Memories with cultural scientist Dr Bulami Edward Fonyuy. He speaks about the efforts of the people of Nso in north-western Cameroon to bring back Ngonnso, the Founder Ancestor of the their people, held as colonial loot by the Ethnological Museum Berlin since 1903.
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Germany’s new guidelines on colonial belongings & ancestral remains
In October 2025, the federal government, the states and local authority associations adopted guidelines on the handling of colonially appropriated cultural belongings and ancestral remains in German institutions. As the analysis presented here shows, many questions remain unanswered regarding the details and implementation of these guidelines.
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(Re)Presentations of Knowledge and Exhibition Practice
This fascinating report (with photos) by Maike Schimanowski and Kristin Weber-Sinn sums up their experiences as members of the curatorial team for the exhibition „Historia za Tanzania – Geschichte(n) Tansanias – Histories of Tanzania“, presently on display at the Humboldt Forum Berlin. The exhibition has been meant to be a first and final display of…
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Portal „Collections from Colonial Contexts“ of the German Digital Library
The portal ‘Collections from Colonial Contexts (CCC)’ of the German Digital Library (DDB) aims to create centralised and transparent access to information from German museums that is already available in digital form in the short term. Experience to date suggests that the portal has so far been little used by actors from the contexts of…