Ethiopia Receives Valuable Treasures Following a 100-Year Holding in a German Family

Around 12 ancient objects have been officially returned to the Ethiopian nation after being kept by a household from Germany for in excess of a century.

The artefacts, originally acquired in the 1920s by the German representative to Ethiopia a German envoy and his wife Hedwig, were delivered on Wednesday to the research center at the capital's university.

The set contained royal crowns, armor and artistic works, each considered as historically important in the country.

"The treasures still serve as a mark of the enduring and friendly connection between Germany and Ethiopia," said Germany's envoy, the ambassador to the East African country.

Dr. Ramon Wyss, whose father was born during the family's assignment in Ethiopia, handed over the objects at a gathering attended by Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa.

He explained that the household's intention to restore the artefacts was to "display their splendor with the audience and preserve the culture and past tied to my father's beginning."

These objects were either presents or acquisitions, based on the relatives.

"I would like to thank the Weiss household for actively showing their profound love for the nation by diligently maintaining these items and crucially ensuring their repatriation to their proper homeland," stated the minister of tourism.

The minister added that the artefacts would soon be made accessible to the public for study and scholarly work, describing the action a landmark in safeguarding the nation's cultural heritage.

"Actions will continue to bring back old artifacts that are found in the custody of private persons and organizations all over the planet," she stated.

During colonialism in Africa, many of cultural artefacts were looted.

The call by nations in Africa for the repatriation of taken objects has been answered with a degree of success in lately - though several items are only on loan.

In the year 2022, Germany was the initial country to give back some of the famous Benin artifacts to the Nigerian people as part of an effort to address its "troubled legacy."

Similar Topics

• Cultural Return Movements in Africa
• This Effect of Colonial Past on Contemporary African Heritage
• International Movements for the Restitution of Looted Treasures