Dutch Museums To Return Colonial Artifacts – Free PDF Download

• Netherlands to Return Thousands of ‘Looted’ Colonial Artifacts
• A colonial repatriation committee in the Netherlands recently released a report that advised complete “recognition and rectification of injustices” borne out of colonialism and asked Dutch museums to return artifacts stolen by Dutch colonialists to countries such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

The Dutch Colonial empire

• The Netherlands had trading posts and colonies in Asia, Africa and North and South America from the beginning of the 17th century.
• For more than four centuries the Dutch maintained a presence at many locations on these continents as traders, colonists and occupying forces.
• For the existing populations this was a time characterised by exploitation, violence, racism and oppression.
• It was also a time in which many cultural, historical and religious objects, still to be seen today in Dutch museums, were brought to the Netherlands from these territories.
• These include cultural heritage objects that came into Dutch hands against the will of their owners, for example through theft or military action.
• The Netherlands’ most famous museums — including Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and Tropenmuseum have backed the report, vowing to return exhibits taken by force during colonial times.
• Dutch colonial collections consist of a wide range of cultural heritage objects, including art objects, religious objects, historical objects, jewellery, natural history objects and utensils.
• In total there are hundreds of thousands of objects.
• The Great Hall of the Tropenmuseum

Existing ways to repatriate cultural heritage

• Diplomatic gift
• Agreement between countries
• Permanent loans to museums

Other Former Colonialist Countries

• 2017 – French President Emmanuel Macron told a group of University students in Burkina Faso in 2017 that he will devise a plan for return of African heritage in next 5 years.
• “African heritage can’t just be in European private collections and museums.”
• After Macron’s speech, a committee, and a subsequent report was created in France to formalize Macron’s intent, with a clear focus on giving stolen artifacts back to sub-Saharan Africa so the youth in those regions could interact with their own history and culture in their OWN country.
• STATUS – Only 27 restitutions have been announced, and only one object, a traditional sword from Senegal, has been returned.

The Sultanganj Buddha

• The Sultanganj Buddha is the largest metal figure of its kind in the world
• It has been housed in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery since 1867.

• Netherlands government plans to present a draft legislation based on the advice of the committee in early 2021.
• Make a framework, not one off repatriation.
• Looted vs. acquired legitimately (gift/purchase)

Related Issues

• Does the home nation today WANTS back the artifact?
• Which country to repatriate to? (Kohinoor)
• Will it affect ongoing research?
• Museum infrastructure must first be of the appropriate standard before they can receive cultural objects

• Wakanda Forever!

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