Film series in the LWL Museum: Return of colonial cultural assets in focus!

Film series in the LWL Museum: Return of colonial cultural assets in focus!

LWL-Museum für Kunst und Kultur, Domplatz 10, 48143 Münster, Deutschland - On June 11, 2025, an important film series with a focus on the return of colonially raved cultural goods starts in the LWL Art Museum in Münster. A total of eight films from June 17 to July are shown under the title "Access and return: Restitution in the film", organized by the college research group "Access to cultural goods in digital change" from the University of Münster. Entry is 5 euros.

The opening of the series takes place on June 17 and comprises two central films that deal with the topics of access, justice and return. The first film, "You Hide Me" by Nii Kwate Owoo, addresses the discovery of African cultural assets in the British Museum. The second film, "Dahomey" by Mati Diop, deals with the return of 26 treasures from the Kingdom Dahomey from France to Benin. It is interesting that the statue of King Ghézo acts as a narrative element, which shares his experiences in the Musée du Quai Branly.

follow appointments and professional introduction

The film series on the follow -up dates on June 24th and July 1st offers six more films from 1997 to 2024. All events begin at 7 p.m. and contain a short professional introduction that deepens the context of the films.

The discussion about the return of colonial cultural assets is not only conducted in Münster, but also employs numerous specialists in Germany and Austria. A similar event will take place at the University of Graz on October 21, 2021. Well -known experts such as Claudia Augustat from the World Museum Vienna and Katrin Vohland from the Natural History Museum Vienna discuss here about the adequate way of dealing with cultural goods from the colonial era. Helmut Konrad heads the event, which is free of charge among the applicable Corona protection measures. After prior registration, interested parties can take part in this exchange.

legal framework and international discussion

The legal foundations for dealing with cultural assets from colonial contexts are currently unclear. As Kulturgutverluste.de , return demands have existed since the colonial period that have increased in intensity in recent decades. Despite the 1970 UNESCO convention, which does not apply retrospectively, international discourse remains inconsistent. The state of the discussion in particular varies greatly between different European countries.

The handling of colonial heritage is characterized by a variety of aspects. The reduced cultural and collection goods come from different acquisition contexts, which requires specific regulations. In addition to returns, permanent loans, legal transfer of ownership without physical transfer, financial compensation or joint research projects are also discussed. For mortal remains in anthropological collections, the focus is usually on return and culturally appropriate burial if this is requested by the origin.

The terms return, restitution and repatriation are of central importance in this debate. While the term return is considered a generic term, repatriation emphasizes the return to a social or cultural context, while restitution focuses more on the legal aspects such as property.

These topics are not only important for historians and academics, but also affect the broader society and the understanding of justice and recognition in postcolonial discourses.