Germany returns 21 Benin bronzes to Nigeria – amid frustration at Britain
Germany has returned 21 precious artifacts to the former west African kingdom of Benin, in Nigeria, that were stolen by British soldiers 125 years ago. The objects are known as Benin bronzes, and include culturally significant items such as the head of an oba (king), a ceremonial ada, and a throne depicting a coiled up python. The items were passed from Germany’s prime minister, Annalena Baerbock, to Nigeria’s culture minister, Lai Mohammed, in a ceremony on Tuesday, December 13th. Although the legal transfer of important artifacts from Germany to Nigeria is a noteworthy milestone and an event worthy of celebration, there is still speculation as to whether Britain, who decades ago had soldiers who were the original looters, will be prompted to give up the artifacts currently in their museums. The ushering in of a new generation of politicians seems to have sparked the change in action, especially in restoring cultures that have been wrongfully stripped of their heritage, but those in office have expressed that there is still a long way to go in these endeavors.
I believe that this motion by the German government will set a tone for the restoration of cultures and artifacts internationally. This has already been brought to light by the cultural minister of Nigeria, who is questioning whether Britain will follow Germany’s lead, and I believe that eventually they will, because the restoration of artifacts has already begun and it will probably seem rude and disrespectful of Britain to forgo giving up looted items. Although this will not have any immediate impacts on African regions, cultural improvements might boost morale, and contribute to the power these nations hold over time. Because cultural influence is one of the main types of power in international relations, having an increased pride in heritage and unique cultural customs because of the current restoration efforts may make a difference over time. In my view, this event has taken place because of new leadership in many nations, such as Germany, who hold equality and amending past wrongs in a high view and are making moves to act on these values. This is reflective of some analyses I have heard of that have been made about young generations that assert they are empathetic and globally minded, which is probably playing out here.
One connection between the restoration of valuable artifacts to lessons in international relations is the common thread of ideas found in the theory of liberalism. This theory promotes the idea that humans are inherently good and war is not inevitable. There are also views in IR that assert that creating a global community instead of regional or national ones is the way to achieve world peace, the ultimate goal, and that countries must take actions that might not be completely in their own national interest to serve the collective good. Both of these ideas are reflected in this situation, as two nations are working together to right past wrongs, and even though it might not be in the interest of Germany’s people to give up artifacts from their museums, it will benefit Nigeria and simultaneously create a bond between the two nations that might keep the peace later down the road and be a step towards an international community and identity.