German Museums Return Ancestral Remains to Australian Indigenous Community

 

Five sets of ancestral remains from Australia, held in German museums since the 19th century, have been returned in a ceremony marked by reflection and celebration. Representatives of the Ugar Island community, part of the Torres Strait Islands in northeastern Australia, traveled to Berlin to accompany the remains on their journey back home.

The restitution reflects ongoing efforts by German institutions to return human remains and cultural artifacts taken during the colonial era. Among the remains returned were three sets housed in Berlin since 1880 and two others held in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Hermann Parzinger, head of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, acknowledged the wrongful acquisition of these remains.

“These ancestral remains were never meant to be here,” he said, emphasizing the exploitation of non-European cultures during the colonial period. He described how European museums raced to acquire cultural items and remains, often violating the dignity and humanity of the communities they encountered.

The remains returned by the Ethnological Museum in Berlin and the State Museum for Nature and Man in Oldenburg add to the 162 sets Australia has recovered from Germany and the approximately 1,700 returned from other countries.

Rocky Stephen, a representative of the Ugar Island community, expressed mixed emotions at the ceremony, describing the moment as both sorrowful and joyous.

“This is a process of healing that’s going to happen when they return back to us,” he said. Despite the 40-hour journey to Germany, Stephen stressed the importance of bringing the ancestors home after 144 years.

German museums are making strides to identify and repatriate remains to their countries of origin. Parzinger reaffirmed Berlin’s commitment to ensuring that remains whose origins can be traced are returned to their rightful communities.

The Australian government has prioritized repatriating ancestral remains, with Natasha Smith, Australia’s ambassador to Germany, highlighting their significance to Indigenous Australians.

The return of Australia’s ancestral remains is part of a broader movement among Western institutions to address the legacy of colonial exploitation. Similar efforts include Germany’s agreement with Nigeria in 2022 to return the Benin Bronzes, looted by British forces more than a century ago.

This handover represents a step toward addressing historical injustices and fostering healing for Indigenous communities affected by colonial actions.