In December 2022, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stood in Abuja beside Nigerian officials as 20 bronze sculptures were handed over. They had been looted from the royal palace of Benin by British troops in 1897 and later sold to museums around the world, including in Germany. The handover was part of the largest commitment yet by a European country to return the Benin Bronzes, and it marked a turning point in a long campaign.
1897 and Germany's handover
In 1897, British forces attacked Benin City, exiled Oba Ovonramwen and looted thousands of bronzes, ivories and other royal objects. The objects were sold and ended up in museums in Britain, Germany, the United States and elsewhere. In 2022, Germany agreed to transfer ownership of more than a thousand Benin objects in its museums to Nigeria.
The first 20 objects were physically returned to Nigeria in December 2022. Institutions including the Smithsonian in Washington and the Horniman Museum in London also agreed to return Benin objects.
The British Museum and the decree
The British Museum, which holds a large collection, has not permanently returned its bronzes, citing British law. In 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari issued a decree recognising the Oba of Benin as the owner of returned bronzes. The move sparked debate about public access and museum plans. Plans for museums in Benin City to display returned objects were discussed by different parties.
Some European politicians and commentators questioned returns after the decree, while others insisted restitution was right regardless. Bronze casters in Benin City’s Igun Street guild continue the tradition. The returns are part of a global reckoning with colonial-era collections.
What the bronzes are and the debate
The so-called Benin Bronzes include brass plaques, heads, figures and ivory carvings made for the royal court of the Kingdom of Benin, in present-day Edo State. Many recorded the history of the kingdom, its rulers and its contacts with Portuguese traders. Projects such as Digital Benin have catalogued objects held in museums worldwide. The returns continue to spark debate in Nigeria and Europe.
The bronzes were made for the palace of Benin’s kings. More than a century after soldiers carried them away, some are finally back in Nigeria, with more promised to follow.
