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Other cases of return or restitution of cultural objects

In some cases, the 1970 Convention does not apply formally: either the States involved have not ratified this instrument or one condition if application is not fulfilled (as non-retroactivity). Other solutions are therefore sought so that Parties concerned can find a mutually acceptable agreement. Even if they do not reflect a strict application of the dispositions of the Convention, these solutions are often adopted in accordance with the spirit and the principles contained in this treaty.

Germany - Iraq, November 2015

© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Vorderasiatisches Museum / Olaf M. Teßmer

The President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz) handed over a 2,600 years old clay brick, with an inscription of the Babylonian King Nebukadnezar, to his Excellency the ambassador of the Republic of Iraq in Berlin. This object had been illegally removed from Iraq in 1975 by an individual, who had recently donated it to the Foundation.

Switzerland - Egypt, June 2015

Restituted objects © OFC

The Swiss Federal Office of Culture returned to the Egyptian Embassy in Bern, a batch of 32 ancient cultural objects, dating from the Pharaonic and Roman periods. Four of the returned items are extremely rare and of remarkable aesthetic quality: the bust of a king wearing a crown, a fragmented stele in honour of  King Siptah depicting the patron goddess of Thebes from the era of the New Kingdom (approx. 1500-1000 B.C.), and two architectural fragments depicting scenes of worship dating back to the Roman period (approx. 753 B.C. to 476 A.D.).
More information (available only in French)

Bulgaria - April 2015

Thracian mask and helmet © Prosecutor’s Office of Republic of Bulgaria

The Archaeology Museum in Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second biggest town, recovered in April 2015 a Roman Thracian silver mask and helmet, stolen in 1995 following an armed robbery. Following a successful investigation led by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in Bulgaria, the precious artifact was returned to the museum. The mask and helmet date back to 1st century AD, and belonged to a Thracian aristocrat from ancient Philipopolis (nowadays Plovdiv) in whose burial mound it was discovered in the early 20th century.

Cambodia - 2015

Pandava statue © UNESCO

Between 2013 and 2015, Cambodia obtained the return of six of the nine statues of great cultural heritage significance, which were looted from Prasat Chen, Koh Ker and had been located abroad. UNESCO acted as a facilitator in the discussions. More information

Germany - Peru, March 2015

Restituted object © Landeskriminalamt Berlin

During the visit of German State President Joachim Gauck to Peru an ancient ritual knife (“Tumi”) was handed over to the Government of Peru on 20 March 2015. The knife is around 800 years old and forms part of the rich cultural heritage of Peru. Probably it had been excavated illegally in the Lambayeque region. German authorities seized it in Berlin in 2013, where it had been offered for sale by an auction house.

Germany - Italy, January 2015

Grave goods from Laterza / Italy © RGZM, V. Iserhardt

On 22 January, the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum in Mainz (RGZM) handed over to Italy a collection of grave goods, dating back to the 5th millennium BC. The outstanding complex with a precious jadeite axe head sheds light on an early European elite, maintaining long distance relations between societies in Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, France and the British Isles. The seven artifacts were looted from a tomb near Laterza in Puglia, acquired by the RGZM on the art market in 1986 and now returned to the Soprintendenza per I Beni Archeologici della Puglia, which already has plans for an exhibition.

Germany - Greece, June 2014

Cycladic pan, dating from 2700-2400 BC © Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe

On 6 June, the state of Baden-Württemberg handed over two objects from the Cycladic culture - a marble figurine dating from 2700-2300 BC and a pan dating from 2700-2400 BC - to Greece. Both objects had been acquired by the Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe in the 1970s and were returned in the spirit of the 1970 UNESCO Convention.

Germany - Iraq, September 2013

Cylinder seals © German Federal Foreign Office

Thirteen ancient artifacts have been returned to Iraq, among them at least one object stolen from the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad in 2003.

Among the objects seized by German law enforcement authorities were eight cylinder seals of up to 5000 years of age as well as several sculptures.

Tablet of cuneiform script © German Federal Foreign Office

Respecting the instructions left in the will of a private individual, a group of heirs has conveyed a tablet of cuneiform script, that presumably originated from the Nimrod palace, to the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq, in Berlin.

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