Historical Culture by Restitution?

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Looted art, art theft, and colonial collections have sparked ongoing debates about how to handle exhibits from colonial contexts, especially following controversies like the Nigerian Benin bronzes at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. The discussion gained momentum in 2018 when France’s President Macron announced plans to return colonial artifacts to their countries of origin. This demand for restitution raises complex questions about the past's presence across ethical, scientific, political, legal, and aesthetic dimensions. It involves art historians, museum professionals, cultural historians, lawyers, and educators, as well as museum visitors who learn about the provenance of these objects. This volume, published in Germany in 2021, seeks to illuminate the historio-cultural aspects of this debate and engage a broader audience. Contributions from German and international authors emphasize the need for a nuanced understanding of the current social discourse on colonialism's legacy. Given that colonialism is inherently an international issue, this English version presents the ongoing debate in Germany to a wider readership.