they have walls and walls from ancient Greeks artifacts. Parthenon Marbles etc. Greece want back all their items. all the Empirical Chinese items and blue vases = are also requested back by China = no answer Mesopotamia... inside the British Museum Tons of artifacts from the Americas. I totally forgot they invaded Scandinavian countries and took their stuff too. THE CORE REASON: is the fault creation of superiority with no history to back it up; created this need to prove culture and history. its a lie that it taken for "safe keeping" Its taken to remove the pride of the people; they invaded without permission. How petty to take an Scottish crowning bench and put it under the English Throne? its 100% envy. but those people ancestors left their art for their descendants to enjoy. it wrong to move it out of their land and put it into yours. *** Pyramids were too heavy to move; but they did cut down + move Ancient Egyptian Obelisks in the 1800's and place them in European cities and USA cities. which is nuts!!
Returning of looted art is very important for Germany itself. Because it symbolizes Germany's stance today. That colonialism was brutal and wrong. Which something Britain, for example, has failed to do so far. On the other hand, Germany is full of historical castles, towns, and cities. So why do they need looted art.
@@alfredoalcantar8691The difference is that people from places such as India, China, Philippines and all of the African countries etc... would love to see evidence of their culture without having to travel to the other sides of the planet. Culture is very important for education and other societal needs.
To the white lady saying that the looted art in Germany were looted by the kingdom of Benin from neighboring kingdoms, I say: let the Africans figure this out for themselves once the looted art is in their motherland. It’s not up to you a German to decide how this African matter should be resolved 🙏🏽.
@@Sunnyside5774 😭I'm Benin too and we make that art and trade it; at least, according to what I know. Have you seen our artisans? Igun Street? Sounds like she's trying to justify nonsense fr
That's a great argument but it won't work, we're assuming she actually gives a shit about who the rightful owners are. Colonial apologists will kick out all your teeth and tell you that you should be grateful since they knocked out a cavity.
@@vibrantwoman1323 yeah but somehow that only applies to whites. never a single word about africans being at constant war with each other since the dawn of mankind. arabs taking over half of africa and southern europe, azteks, inca and mayans decimating anything and anyone they ever came across...nope. lets play "blame whitey". blacks slaughtering each other at a ratio of like 10000:1? nah, lets make a big stink when ONE jewish latino man shot an unarmed black hoodlum rummaging around in a cul de sac ONE TIME instead. cause... "FAIRNESS"!
Yeah, I caught that as well. When you consider this guys were discussing on their national television, if they should test covid vaccine in Africa just 3 years ago, this shouldn't be a shock to anyone.
This reminds me that the Dutch government has not yet returned loot art to Indonesia. They took ancient artifacts and gold jewelry from several local kingdoms during the colonial period.
Where would their victims be if morally righteous Christian Europeans didn't feel it was right to leave them to live and preserve their cultures? They could have killed everyone and burned everything as most nations have done in history
Someone while walking the streets of London (with all it's wealth there to see) in early 20th century said that all he can smell is the sweat and blood of his countrymen (a colony). So yes, every brick in western europe will forever smell of that
@@mattbudesa6351 It does a lot to the progression of a country. As a nation you have no identity especially when those looted treasures were gone forever which unfortunately it contains a lot of historical meanings. Had that not the case then i wonder why it took very long for Europe to disbanding European monarchies by always citing "historical meanings" on it??
All they do is make excuses in order to keep the stolen artifacts. In United States... museums, universities and private collectors are notorious for this.
@@chuckredwood1675 please was same Benin a city before Nigeria creation and please two is this Benin same as Edo state that is not up to what was in history record greeter done China note the city was not recorded as just as you will say to people is king ( oba) that was not in oyo history record back to my question in time of Benin city was there Nigeria if you true to yourself
@@chuckredwood1675 British is what please in your year and tell we the meant of loot in Africa way, it get y or is there a city without a nation or is Brazil as a nation with city before Benin as it is to nigeria
The Ethnologist's reasoning at 4:02 that the artifacts are being returned to Africans who were the descendants of both African slave traders AND African victims, is just her attempt to keep them in Germany - as if Germany doesn't have an atrocious history of its own; a fact which wouldn't exclude present day Germans from wanting their own ancient artifacts kept in Germany. What lame reasoning she gives.
I think they should be brought back to Benin. Americans often forget the vast majority of ensalved Africans actually came to the Caribbean and Brazil, under that logic most of the bronzes should be spreaded through out the Caribbean and Brazil, and only a small fraction to the US. Anyway, they were made in Benin, by the kingdom of Benin, so they should be in Benin
The loot needed to go back to their roots. There really should have been nothing to think about. Especially over stolen artifacts. Respect to the Germans for their returning the stolen art.
By some peoples’ modern interpretation. British museums are much fairer and have a much stronger claim to the vast majority of their internationally sourced art, clothing and sculpture now then many other European counterparts like Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands.
The Bronze Arts, date to the 13th century before slavery, some even much older, and were not made by coins use to buy slaves. African Americans should be part of the discussion, however, to denigrate the Benin kingdom by saying the Bronze Arts was made from coins the Europeans use to buy the slaves from Benin, is dishonest.
Yes, I would. I’m there to understand the history of the art. There’s no point in keeping the original there if museum has learned everything there is to know about it. Looted artwork is part of another country’s history and culture, and should always be returned to its country of origin.
@@wuuduu609 Museums don't really run on ticket sales anyways. It's mostly volunteer work and government subsidies. But yes I'd do that. In museums where you go look at dinosaur bones and other fossils, those are all repicas too. I still love to go.
@@wuuduu609 Why not?? Not every single items you saw in museum are the real items, some were just replicas from the original item somewhere either its because its too big to be brought to museum or the original items has been returned back to the rightful owner.
That is the most ridiculous argument. That items shouldn’t be returned because Benin kings looted. First pot-kettle. Second that is true on any continent. No one is suggesting that with Europe every item has to be returned to it’s original country of origin. We’re speaking of peoples who were robbed during colonialism, or in the case of Finland, the indigenous people’s who had their items taken. This isn’t about politics and wars between nation-states. This is an about Europe continuing to benefit from entire countries and continents they’ve exploited beyond repair in the relatively recent past. Don’t be obtuse.
Why should be an African cultural artifact be on display in a European museum? They belong to the African people. The British govt, including the Royal family should be ashamed for not returning looted art. Shame on them!
It is debatable. Even a thief is expected to keep whatever item is stolen after a ammount of time. Where I live its 10 years. After that it's yours. I think those 10 years have definitely passed. It's Germany's now. But they be dumb and give their possessions away to the previous owners. While they could have kept it.
The Romans embellished the Colosseum, its palaces and villas with statues and other objects looted from Greece and Egypt. They did not plunder Germania, Galia and Hispania, because those were regions extremely less developed than Rome. Centuries after they were Romanized, Europeans repeated the same pattern in Africa, America and Asia. It will not be easy to abandon something so ingrained in European culture. But this is a fight where Europeans can really start to act as civilized peoples.
Recently Dutch government returned back 472 pieces of cultural artifacts that looted during colonial from Indonesia. While we appreciated the gesture however it had been better before the deed prosecuted the two governments must talk and set up the committee that involved historians, archeologist, and the royal families to recapitulate how many artifacts brought to Netherlands because there were hundred kingdoms from thousands islands in Indonesia that lost their heirlooms.
Western countries decided to make gestures like this mainly because it's good PR, while the economic exploitation of Africa continues (in the name of free trade and open markets, of course). Not only they get to profit from neocolonialism, but they also get a pat on the back for being "nice". Hypocrisy at its best :) I love how this piece mentions naughty Poland and compares it to nice Germany. Well, Poland is not exploiting other countries, unlike Germany. To me, this is much more important than PR gestures.
@@jacques.cousteau It's the name of the game, actually. Look at which countries are buying up land in Africa and making shady deals. Guess what, it's not just China, but also those countries that condemn China :)
Here in Belgrade Serbia we have an African Museum of art. It is the only such museum where every item was either gifted to Serbia from africans or it was bought fairly from africans.
It should not be so difficult to return something that was never yours in first place. British museum is listening, and doesnt like the idea!!! give all back to the rightful owners.
The Benin Bronzes Should be given back to Nigeria and in turn Nigeria should work with the decendants to come up with a way to display them that tell the story of both the culture of where they are from and the people
Well done to DW. I hadn't;t previously heard the perspective of descendants in the US. What the say needs to be examined properly of course, but this is the first time I have heard them induced in discussion. And it is an important contribution.
I was about to write the same thing myself. I have read many articles on the Benin Bronzes and yet DW are the first I've seen who even mention that side.
Because we are all visitors to a land that someone else lived on, we’ve all warred with each other and stolen each others animals and possessions, we’ve put others into servitude. I 100 % support the return of the Benin Bronzes. Let’s return artifacts to the native Americans. I support that 100 %. Let the native Americans return the horses they’ve stolen and the scalps they claimed. If we’re going to do it as a world, let’s do it all the way. Let the Māori sail back to where they came from, too and return the things they stole in war parties.
The Kingdom of Benin barely had anything to do with the transatlantic slave. The King of Benin had abolished slave trade in the kingdom before the end of the 17th century. The Kingdom of Benin traded in pepper, oil palm and other spices.
@@lavinder11 I used the term barely because the evidence that the Kingdom of Benin participated or derived it wealth from transatlantic slave trade is false. A Benin king was shot in his palace by a Dutch merchant because he was not willing to participate in that trade. There are historical documents written by European scholars themselves to prove this point.
@@lavinder11 The Portuguese had convinced Benin to hand over their prisoners to them to go work in their country. So Benin obliged but when the Portuguese kept coming back and asking for more people that is when Benin ended the trade in persons. This is why the Europeans started trading with the Ashante in Ghana, the Oyo in Nigeria, and coastal chiefs in the bight of Brafia in Nigeria. Benin are a very spiritual people and the gods were against trade in persons and the practice was ended before it started. The majority of the people in Brazil and the Caribbean are Yorubas sold by the Oyo people through the port at Badagry, Igbos sold by the various chiefdoms in today's eastern Nigeria, and various tribes in Ghana sold from the Elmina castle at Cape Coast in Ghana.
@@lavinder11 they were selling prisoners of war. Also, the enslaved of the Transatlantic slave trade experienced the most heinous, brutal form of slavery ever practiced. The Africans did not know just how badly those they sold were being treated. And not all were sold, many were kidnapped by Westerners.
I think if UK returns everything they took from India their musium will be empty. The funniest part is they will even have to return the queen's crown also 😂.
I'm bemused when colonies insist on keeping treasures it stole/ looted/ smuggled, let us may be forego the jewels but there are artefacts, idols that represent the very soul of the land and has a massive cultural importance. Even more befuddled people from these colonies now provide an excuse of "it would be better here, as it's taken care of because if it were to given back to you, God knows what will happen!"; When in the first place itself, it's not theirs to decide! I do really appreciate Germany for doing necessary albeit lacking humility and kindness.
Yes, give all the art pieces back and let's appreciate that those pieces would have been sold or ruined by those who now claim them. Thank you Europe for saving pieces that allow many people to be proud of their history.
DW, you should make a dedicated documentary on the marbles of the Parthenon being held in the British Museum and not being returned to Greece where they belong.
DW should first focus on own all colonial crimies before they starts lecturing others . Bigges colonial crimes committed by the Germans are against Poland and to this day they have not returned thousands of works of art looted in museums in Poland
Not returning those, and I support this. You can’t just throw everything back to every nation across the world, or at that rate, every cultural museum would become empty. They’ve been in Britain long enough and they rightfully belong there now.
I think everyone should return all art back to the countries of origin. If that country wants to sell the art to another country, that’s fine. We know better so we need to do better.
As a Nigerian who is Edo or Bini living in the UK. I don’t agree with the African Americans saying that they want the Benin Bronzes especially when some of them might not even be from Nigeria and the Bronzes were made since the time Benin City was called Igodomigodo. So they should stop claiming things that they do not own.
@@user-so2nm4gz6u A society should discourage behavior that harms or infringes the rights and wellbeing of others. Every society has values and social pressures. It’s just “ideology” when you disagree with it. Is “killing people is bad” ideology? If someone has the urge to kill an innocent person but they are discouraged by societal norms, is that a bad thing because they were “captured by ideology?” The more people that have values like “colonial looting is bad” and exert social pressure to that effect, the better.
@@yommishi think you misinterpreted my point. by ideology i meant moving away from truth. in the name of 'doing good' or anything. saying 'this is for good' when the exact opposite is happening. by ideology i meant that. ideology is when individual(s) is captured by a set of ideas so much so that they dont care about truth anymore. their entire worldview is build upon those ideas and ideas related to it. that is what i meant by ideology.
The Koh-i-Noor can't be returned because 1. Multiple countries are claiming ownership of it (India, Pakistan, Iran and Afganistan). 2. It is apart of the former Queen's crown now. I highly doubt it'll ever be returned.
i wouldn't have anticipated anyone being opposed to the re-patriation of looted artefacts - which just does to show that things can be much more complicated that they first appear. thanks for this documentary - it's given me plenty to think about.
Don't just mind those busybodies African Americans. A true son of Africa won't only wish to have such artefacts back home but would encourage their kids and kins to from time to time have a rapprochement with their roots. Yet they prefer negativism and playing to the gallery.
Vatican city is the largest collector; thousands and thousand of books and writings. miles long. PEOPLE do not know Universities and college exist in the Americas before 1492 ; and those priest took many of the writings and 🔥burn the rest of the books.
You clearly never been to the Vatican, since most of the stuff there is produced in Italy. What they are going to give you back? The Sistine Chapel and Bramante's staircase?
@@cinnamonstar808Like what books, ROFL? The Vatican archives are open to the public and digitalized. Please enlighten us on the books stolen? (if there are any)
I don't understand why these former colonial powers still refuse to return looted treasures, why is it hard to let go of statues that has no spiritual significance to Europeans😅. What a Shame
I’ve often commented that my own country, the USA, is drenched in blood. The return of looted items, including ancestors (both ancient and much more recent) and sacred items back to First Peoples is in its early stages. And there are the peoples, like migrant workers, in unmarked graves throughout the South and Southwest. I loathe the argument that because a people exploited/oppressed others that it somehow justifies current/recent oppressors exploitation or oppression of others. It is the most specious kind of reasoning and devoid of all ethical content. Indigenous people all over the world have suffered…in part because their difference makes them dangerous to the status quo. Throughout recorded history, imperialists have always destroyed cultures which refuse to assimilate, going all the way back to Rome. The Nazis studied the reservation system in the US when developing the final solution, as did South Africa when developing Apartheid. It’s “modern” for oppressors study their own history. I’ve studied the history of the human drive to oppress most of my life. If schools taught a fraction of what I know, perhaps things would change. And yet I’m watching that content removed in some states.
@@bullpup1337 They were bought not looted through invasions. Now that’s the difference. Steve jobs was not white he was a Middle Eastern American man so please stop claiming his invention.
People are talking of marbles from Greece. Agreed those are also legitimate claims. But the sheer value of the wealth stolen from India holds the world record. So, India be looking at "Great" Britain like.. 😒
give back our language English, our games like Cricket, Hockey, give back the country our ancestors created with their sweat and blood....you owe us trillions of pounds
A step in the right direction 👏 Unless a civilization is extinct, we don't need museums to display what their culture was like, read a book or find out yourself, my Lord🙄
I am descent of return African American slaves and l am Nigerian.Bronze need to be return .You can't prove your ancestors came from Benin kingdom or surrounding area ever if they did.Its not yours to decided .it's Nigerian culture heritage.You don't see Nigerians demanding African American banjo 🪕 because it's model of west African guitar 🎸.
Why keeping things that where not inspired by your ancestors? I can try to understand maybe there is nothing inspired by there ancestors on this earth. Why European are so amazed of anything that is not their?
Question: why are there pyramids in Egypt?
Answer: because they were too big to be moved to the British Museum.
Exactly
they have walls and walls from ancient Greeks artifacts. Parthenon Marbles etc. Greece want back all their items.
all the Empirical Chinese items and blue vases = are also requested back by China = no answer
Mesopotamia... inside the British Museum
Tons of artifacts from the Americas. I totally forgot they invaded Scandinavian countries and took their stuff too.
THE CORE REASON: is the fault creation of superiority with no history to back it up; created this need to prove culture and history. its a lie that it taken for "safe keeping" Its taken to remove the pride of the people; they invaded without permission.
How petty to take an Scottish crowning bench and put it under the English Throne? its 100% envy.
but those people ancestors left their art for their descendants to enjoy. it wrong to move it out of their land and put it into yours.
*** Pyramids were too heavy to move; but they did cut down + move Ancient Egyptian Obelisks in the 1800's
and place them in European cities and USA cities. which is nuts!!
Same goes for Taj Mahal and many other monuments of India.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
French tried to take away the gates from a buddhist stupa in Sanchi from India but they were heavy.
Returning of looted art is very important for Germany itself. Because it symbolizes Germany's stance today. That colonialism was brutal and wrong. Which something Britain, for example, has failed to do so far. On the other hand, Germany is full of historical castles, towns, and cities. So why do they need looted art.
But empires did that along time ago, so what’s the difference?
You should check out Portugal and France. Britain is bad, but it is having a discussion, some other countries don't even do that
I respect Germany for doing what Britain refuses to do.
@@alfredoalcantar8691The difference is that people from places such as India, China, Philippines and all of the African countries etc... would love to see evidence of their culture without having to travel to the other sides of the planet. Culture is very important for education and other societal needs.
@@101spacemonkeyWell Britain has the biggest museum in the world with looted artifacts so pointing your fingers at others won’t really do much
To the white lady saying that the looted art in Germany were looted by the kingdom of Benin from neighboring kingdoms, I say: let the Africans figure this out for themselves once the looted art is in their motherland. It’s not up to you a German to decide how this African matter should be resolved 🙏🏽.
Thank you very much, as a Nigerian from the Benin tribe I've never heard of it and she's just trying to defend the evil they've done.
@@Sunnyside5774 😭I'm Benin too and we make that art and trade it; at least, according to what I know. Have you seen our artisans? Igun Street? Sounds like she's trying to justify nonsense fr
💯💯💯💯
That's a great argument but it won't work, we're assuming she actually gives a shit about who the rightful owners are. Colonial apologists will kick out all your teeth and tell you that you should be grateful since they knocked out a cavity.
So give em to slaver descendants ok buddy
The AUDACITY to rationalize with giving back what was NOT YOURS TO TAKE is utterly and completely baffling to me.
The Leopard does not change its spots.
@@vibrantwoman1323 yeah but somehow that only applies to whites. never a single word about africans being at constant war with each other since the dawn of mankind. arabs taking over half of africa and southern europe, azteks, inca and mayans decimating anything and anyone they ever came across...nope. lets play "blame whitey". blacks slaughtering each other at a ratio of like 10000:1? nah, lets make a big stink when ONE jewish latino man shot an unarmed black hoodlum rummaging around in a cul de sac ONE TIME instead. cause... "FAIRNESS"!
Why are you crying about it tho.
@@shortznig2938 why are you crying about having to give it back like a bunch of spoilt, entitled toddlers???
Yeah, I caught that as well. When you consider this guys were discussing on their national television, if they should test covid vaccine in Africa just 3 years ago, this shouldn't be a shock to anyone.
This reminds me that the Dutch government has not yet returned loot art to Indonesia. They took ancient artifacts and gold jewelry from several local kingdoms during the colonial period.
We have done that recently.
@@Pleezath really?
@@koiyujo1543 not all but yeah
@@Pleezath And you want a medal for that?
@@theaceofknaves3285 to you we say: doe ff normaal man
Where would Europe be without looted properties
Where would their victims be if morally righteous Christian Europeans didn't feel it was right to leave them to live and preserve their cultures? They could have killed everyone and burned everything as most nations have done in history
Someone while walking the streets of London (with all it's wealth there to see) in early 20th century said that all he can smell is the sweat and blood of his countrymen (a colony). So yes, every brick in western europe will forever smell of that
It would be just fine. Lol. Looted properties has nothing to do with progression of a country. What a silly comment.
@@mattbudesa6351 It does a lot to the progression of a country. As a nation you have no identity especially when those looted treasures were gone forever which unfortunately it contains a lot of historical meanings. Had that not the case then i wonder why it took very long for Europe to disbanding European monarchies by always citing "historical meanings" on it??
Still f’kn impressive. Because you’re right … we never needed it in the first place.
Every time I’ve been to the British Museum, it’s always struck me that there’s practically nothing in there that is British…..
Yikes. I wonder if that means their history and art, is mainly based in colonization
Obvious lies
You've been to all 2,000 Museums in Britain?
How is this complex? Give people their stolen items!!!
🤷🏿♂
All they do is make excuses in order to keep the stolen artifacts. In United States... museums, universities and private collectors are notorious for this.
@@lunamaxwell6190you’re talking about the united states when literally every museum in england as STOLEN artifacts
African art is so beautiful. I am glad some of it is being returned to the countries where it was created.
return to who was there Nigeria as a nation cos I want to know y it call Benin loot
@@OsazeSunday-rj8jk benin was a kingdom in nigeria
@@chuckredwood1675 please was same Benin a city before Nigeria creation and please two is this Benin same as Edo state that is not up to what was in history record greeter done China note the city was not recorded as just as you will say to people is king ( oba) that was not in oyo history record back to my question in time of Benin city was there Nigeria if you true to yourself
@@chuckredwood1675 British is what please in your year and tell we the meant of loot in Africa way, it get y or is there a city without a nation or is Brazil as a nation with city before Benin as it is to nigeria
Bharat ka saman bhi wapas do.
The Ethnologist's reasoning at 4:02 that the artifacts are being returned to Africans who were the descendants of both African slave traders AND African victims, is just her attempt to keep them in Germany - as if Germany doesn't have an atrocious history of its own; a fact which wouldn't exclude present day Germans from wanting their own ancient artifacts kept in Germany. What lame reasoning she gives.
I have much respect for Germany. Rectifying past mistakes isn't easy but they are doing it with class
I think they should be brought back to Benin. Americans often forget the vast majority of ensalved Africans actually came to the Caribbean and Brazil, under that logic most of the bronzes should be spreaded through out the Caribbean and Brazil, and only a small fraction to the US.
Anyway, they were made in Benin, by the kingdom of Benin, so they should be in Benin
Pretty reasonable take.
The UK should return all of the treasures stolen from Africa
Well that would include the crown
@@Londoloza031 Yup
Uk dependent on Africa to become first world???
They lecture Africa
Things are on the move world wide except in Britain! Clinging on to dear life to looted artifacts. Return the stolen loot.
I’m a big supporter of ‘you must return of what’s not yours!’
The loot needed to go back to their roots.
There really should have been nothing to think about.
Especially over stolen artifacts.
Respect to the Germans for their returning the stolen art.
British museums: the secret ingredient is crime
By some peoples’ modern interpretation. British museums are much fairer and have a much stronger claim to the vast majority of their internationally sourced art, clothing and sculpture now then many other European counterparts like Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands.
@@danielwhyatt3278 🤣🤣🤣
The Bronze Arts, date to the 13th century before slavery, some even much older, and were not made by coins use to buy slaves. African Americans should be part of the discussion, however, to denigrate the Benin kingdom by saying the Bronze Arts was made from coins the Europeans use to buy the slaves from Benin, is dishonest.
I've read that metallurgy dates back as far as 1000 B.C. in Benin.
I have a friend whose vocation is repatriating Māori human remains to Aotearoa/NZ. It’s terrible how many collections include people.
Can’t they just return the original art and create a replica of the item for the museums?
youll go to museum to see laminate replicas? And pay for it?
Yes, I would. I’m there to understand the history of the art. There’s no point in keeping the original there if museum has learned everything there is to know about it.
Looted artwork is part of another country’s history and culture, and should always be returned to its country of origin.
@@wuuduu609 Museums don't really run on ticket sales anyways. It's mostly volunteer work and government subsidies. But yes I'd do that. In museums where you go look at dinosaur bones and other fossils, those are all repicas too. I still love to go.
They use to have HUMAN zoos and they weren't replicas from around the world either. 🍼 Baby steps
@@wuuduu609 Why not?? Not every single items you saw in museum are the real items, some were just replicas from the original item somewhere either its because its too big to be brought to museum or the original items has been returned back to the rightful owner.
That is the most ridiculous argument. That items shouldn’t be returned because Benin kings looted. First pot-kettle. Second that is true on any continent. No one is suggesting that with Europe every item has to be returned to it’s original country of origin. We’re speaking of peoples who were robbed during colonialism, or in the case of Finland, the indigenous people’s who had their items taken. This isn’t about politics and wars between nation-states. This is an about Europe continuing to benefit from entire countries and continents they’ve exploited beyond repair in the relatively recent past. Don’t be obtuse.
Yup -- the audacity is astounding!
Why should be an African cultural artifact be on display in a European museum? They belong to the African people. The British govt, including the Royal family should be ashamed for not returning looted art. Shame on them!
Cry more 🤣
Oh well, finders keepers.
In The Philippines also US and Spain took our ancestors treasures.
Not even a debate. Theft is theft plain and simple.
It is debatable. Even a thief is expected to keep whatever item is stolen after a ammount of time. Where I live its 10 years. After that it's yours. I think those 10 years have definitely passed. It's Germany's now. But they be dumb and give their possessions away to the previous owners. While they could have kept it.
Finally hope that we can return to our original land as humans not only objects
The Romans embellished the Colosseum, its palaces and villas with statues and other objects looted from Greece and Egypt. They did not plunder Germania, Galia and Hispania, because those were regions extremely less developed than Rome. Centuries after they were Romanized, Europeans repeated the same pattern in Africa, America and Asia. It will not be easy to abandon something so ingrained in European culture. But this is a fight where Europeans can really start to act as civilized peoples.
1. Greece is Europe
2. Roman had plenty of art
Thanks DW Documentary. Very informative and interesting.
Recently Dutch government returned back 472 pieces of cultural artifacts that looted during colonial from Indonesia. While we appreciated the gesture however it had been better before the deed prosecuted the two governments must talk and set up the committee that involved historians, archeologist, and the royal families to recapitulate how many artifacts brought to Netherlands because there were hundred kingdoms from thousands islands in Indonesia that lost their heirlooms.
Western countries decided to make gestures like this mainly because it's good PR, while the economic exploitation of Africa continues (in the name of free trade and open markets, of course). Not only they get to profit from neocolonialism, but they also get a pat on the back for being "nice". Hypocrisy at its best :)
I love how this piece mentions naughty Poland and compares it to nice Germany. Well, Poland is not exploiting other countries, unlike Germany. To me, this is much more important than PR gestures.
Is this "neocolonialism" in the room with us right now?😂😂
@@jacques.cousteau It's the name of the game, actually. Look at which countries are buying up land in Africa and making shady deals. Guess what, it's not just China, but also those countries that condemn China :)
sport on
@@jacques.cousteaucring
Hope you're aware that Poland has eroded the freedoms of its own population as you say this...
British museum be like we will still keep it to keep it safe for future lol
unironically the argument some people make lol
Louvre as well, sadly.
Here in Belgrade Serbia we have an African Museum of art. It is the only such museum where every item was either gifted to Serbia from africans or it was bought fairly from africans.
It's about time. We should be the custodians of our art pieces.
It should not be so difficult to return something that was never yours in first place. British museum is listening, and doesnt like the idea!!! give all back to the rightful owners.
That Windsor monarchy walk round with their stolen jewels, Art, and are proud of their wickedness.
It's wonderful to see this happening more and more often. ❤️
🥇🏆🏵
It's about the time even their country will hand it over soon
The Benin Bronzes Should be given back to Nigeria and in turn Nigeria should work with the decendants to come up with a way to display them that tell the story of both the culture of where they are from and the people
Well done to DW. I hadn't;t previously heard the perspective of descendants in the US. What the say needs to be examined properly of course, but this is the first time I have heard them induced in discussion. And it is an important contribution.
I was about to write the same thing myself. I have read many articles on the Benin Bronzes and yet DW are the first I've seen who even mention that side.
When will Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & America be returned to their indigenous population? 🤔
ANND, The Continent currently known as Africa!!!..j3
When will native Americans go back to Siberia ?
How can you compare colonization with migration?
Because we are all visitors to a land that someone else lived on, we’ve all warred with each other and stolen each others animals and possessions, we’ve put others into servitude. I 100 % support the return of the Benin Bronzes. Let’s return artifacts to the native Americans. I support that 100 %. Let the native Americans return the horses they’ve stolen and the scalps they claimed. If we’re going to do it as a world, let’s do it all the way. Let the Māori sail back to where they came from, too and return the things they stole in war parties.
When is England returned from the Saxons?
The royal family of England should return their diamonds and all the precious gems then😂
In this digital age, we should be able to 3-D duplicate any items and return the originals back to their home country
The Kingdom of Benin barely had anything to do with the transatlantic slave. The King of Benin had abolished slave trade in the kingdom before the end of the 17th century. The Kingdom of Benin traded in pepper, oil palm and other spices.
You call over 200 years of selling people to Europeans "barely"? And it ended in the 1860s, not 1600s.
@@lavinder11 I used the term barely because the evidence that the Kingdom of Benin participated or derived it wealth from transatlantic slave trade is false. A Benin king was shot in his palace by a Dutch merchant because he was not willing to participate in that trade. There are historical documents written by European scholars themselves to prove this point.
@@lavinder11 The Portuguese had convinced Benin to hand over their prisoners to them to go work in their country. So Benin obliged but when the Portuguese kept coming back and asking for more people that is when Benin ended the trade in persons. This is why the Europeans started trading with the Ashante in Ghana, the Oyo in Nigeria, and coastal chiefs in the bight of Brafia in Nigeria. Benin are a very spiritual people and the gods were against trade in persons and the practice was ended before it started. The majority of the people in Brazil and the Caribbean are Yorubas sold by the Oyo people through the port at Badagry, Igbos sold by the various chiefdoms in today's eastern Nigeria, and various tribes in Ghana sold from the Elmina castle at Cape Coast in Ghana.
@@lavinder11 they were selling prisoners of war. Also, the enslaved of the Transatlantic slave trade experienced the most heinous, brutal form of slavery ever practiced. The Africans did not know just how badly those they sold were being treated. And not all were sold, many were kidnapped by Westerners.
this should not be even debate they were stolen and people died trying to protect them from thief's
They were outmatched and lost
@@Eechutacring
Yup
Low IQ take
@@Eechutaloser
That den of iniquity the British Museum could learn much from the Germans here in regards to being culturally sensitive for a start.
I think if UK returns everything they took from India their musium will be empty. The funniest part is they will even have to return the queen's crown also 😂.
Europe has nothing no history no Art there history is world war 1 and 2
India should also return the loots done by chola empire to their original owners as well as compensate them.
@@kdas2000inthose are not colonial period. Know the difference between colonialism and empire.
@@kdas2000inplease take the pain and suffering thats the good thing they gave to us take it
Am I the only one that is screaming about the priceless artifacts that are being handled without gloves???
Mending is always a welcome first step.deeply appreciate the gesture.
I'm bemused when colonies insist on keeping treasures it stole/ looted/ smuggled, let us may be forego the jewels but there are artefacts, idols that represent the very soul of the land and has a massive cultural importance. Even more befuddled people from these colonies now provide an excuse of "it would be better here, as it's taken care of because if it were to given back to you, God knows what will happen!"; When in the first place itself, it's not theirs to decide! I do really appreciate Germany for doing necessary albeit lacking humility and kindness.
This should’ve been done. All of those artifacts were stolen!!
@@mattmccallum2007 taking something that isn’t yours is stealing.
Yes, give all the art pieces back and let's appreciate that those pieces would have been sold or ruined by those who now claim them. Thank you Europe for saving pieces that allow many people to be proud of their history.
DW, you should make a dedicated documentary on the marbles of the Parthenon being held in the British Museum and not being returned to Greece where they belong.
Yeah and the rest of the things they have stolen from other countries, like jewlery for India..
DW should first focus on own all colonial crimies before they starts lecturing others . Bigges colonial crimes committed by the Germans are against Poland and to this day they have not returned thousands of works of art looted in museums in Poland
@@mr.komentarz8416 That would be the entire EU, rebranded Karen colonialism trying to keep their thumb on the world.
Not returning those, and I support this. You can’t just throw everything back to every nation across the world, or at that rate, every cultural museum would become empty. They’ve been in Britain long enough and they rightfully belong there now.
04:39 Completely skipped over Brasil which 10X as many slaves went than North America.
Great documentary regarding looted art 👍.I hope one day all the looted art returns to their respective countries by the colonial powers.
I think everyone should return all art back to the countries of origin. If that country wants to sell the art to another country, that’s fine. We know better so we need to do better.
Benin Bronzes, looted by the British, held in Germany, returned to Nigeria. What a convoluted web we weave!
As a Nigerian who is Edo or Bini living in the UK. I don’t agree with the African Americans saying that they want the Benin Bronzes especially when some of them might not even be from Nigeria and the Bronzes were made since the time Benin City was called Igodomigodo. So they should stop claiming things that they do not own.
Oh lord you already started fighting over them?
As an American, I agree with you. These belong in Nigeria.
Good job Germany... Realise of historical Mistake is great ❤❤
man!. woke ideology is not great. or good.
People around the world are being forced to do good deeds, pressure is good, change will come.
Thank you
the aim to make people good. not force. because the people who says they are doing "good things" can also do bad things captured by ideology
@@user-so2nm4gz6u A society should discourage behavior that harms or infringes the rights and wellbeing of others. Every society has values and social pressures. It’s just “ideology” when you disagree with it. Is “killing people is bad” ideology? If someone has the urge to kill an innocent person but they are discouraged by societal norms, is that a bad thing because they were “captured by ideology?” The more people that have values like “colonial looting is bad” and exert social pressure to that effect, the better.
@@yommishi think you misinterpreted my point. by ideology i meant moving away from truth. in the name of 'doing good' or anything.
saying 'this is for good' when the exact opposite is happening. by ideology i meant that.
ideology is when individual(s) is captured by a set of ideas so much so that they dont care about truth anymore. their entire worldview is build upon those ideas and ideas related to it. that is what i meant by ideology.
What bout kohinoor!??
Kohinoor shouldnt be given to india
India should also return the loots done by chola empire to their original owners as well as compensate them.
The Koh-i-Noor can't be returned because 1. Multiple countries are claiming ownership of it (India, Pakistan, Iran and Afganistan). 2. It is apart of the former Queen's crown now.
I highly doubt it'll ever be returned.
The Spanish took gold from the Aztecs, given to Isabel after she funded the expedition to discover America
This is a well made documentary.
i wouldn't have anticipated anyone being opposed to the re-patriation of looted artefacts - which just does to show that things can be much more complicated that they first appear. thanks for this documentary - it's given me plenty to think about.
Don't just mind those busybodies African Americans. A true son of Africa won't only wish to have such artefacts back home but would encourage their kids and kins to from time to time have a rapprochement with their roots. Yet they prefer negativism and playing to the gallery.
Museum of London, Vatican City should give up their archive and return back all the artifacts stolen to the world
Vatican city is the largest collector; thousands and thousand of books and writings. miles long.
PEOPLE do not know Universities and college exist in the Americas before 1492 ; and those priest took many of the writings and 🔥burn the rest of the books.
I think u failed to understand Vatican don't have collection of looted things,they largely posses collection of books and manuscripts
You clearly never been to the Vatican, since most of the stuff there is produced in Italy. What they are going to give you back? The Sistine Chapel and Bramante's staircase?
@@cinnamonstar808Like what books, ROFL? The Vatican archives are open to the public and digitalized. Please enlighten us on the books stolen? (if there are any)
European museums, or perhaps even "Western" museums are all at fault, we can only hope that they will all make better choices from now on.
That’s beautiful! I learned about how much art the Nazis stole and now it’s all being returned ❤
Wow 🤩 I love DW❤❤❤
why?
I don't understand why these former colonial powers still refuse to return looted treasures, why is it hard to let go of statues that has no spiritual significance to Europeans😅. What a Shame
I’ve often commented that my own country, the USA, is drenched in blood. The return of looted items, including ancestors (both ancient and much more recent) and sacred items back to First Peoples is in its early stages. And there are the peoples, like migrant workers, in unmarked graves throughout the South and Southwest. I loathe the argument that because a people exploited/oppressed others that it somehow justifies current/recent oppressors exploitation or oppression of others. It is the most specious kind of reasoning and devoid of all ethical content. Indigenous people all over the world have suffered…in part because their difference makes them dangerous to the status quo. Throughout recorded history, imperialists have always destroyed cultures which refuse to assimilate, going all the way back to Rome. The Nazis studied the reservation system in the US when developing the final solution, as did South Africa when developing Apartheid. It’s “modern” for oppressors study their own history. I’ve studied the history of the human drive to oppress most of my life. If schools taught a fraction of what I know, perhaps things would change. And yet I’m watching that content removed in some states.
Re exchange of cultural artifacts is an excellent opportunity to start conversations that move us towards re(m/p)atriation, then restitution.
the problem with returning these ... will they simply be sold by the country or easily stolen?
its there stuff after all
That doesn't concern you.
@robertsmith1703 It’s none of your business.
It’s theirs to begin with.
None of your business, not your property
What the owner does with his stuff, doesn't concern the theif
Amazing
I hope Europe returns all Africas looted diamonds.
ok give us back all your computers and cellphones then, and cars and all other stuff you “looted” from europe
I hope not
@@Pleezathcring
@@bullpup1337cring
@@bullpup1337 They were bought not looted through invasions. Now that’s the difference. Steve jobs was not white he was a Middle Eastern American man so please stop claiming his invention.
Meanwhile Queen elizabeth: for Cullian and Koh-i-noor.....
People are talking of marbles from Greece. Agreed those are also legitimate claims. But the sheer value of the wealth stolen from India holds the world record.
So, India be looking at "Great" Britain like.. 😒
give back our language English, our games like Cricket, Hockey, give back the country our ancestors created with their sweat and blood....you owe us trillions of pounds
@@breezeanonymous6034cringe
India should also return the loots done by chola empire to their original owners as well as compensate them.
@@kdas2000in Name them
DW Documentary, vielen Dank wie immer 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
When Germans will return to Poland art they robed during Hitlers invasion?!
@@jimmyjasi- may be among the further YT/TV episodes shot and given here by DW Documentary 🤔
@@jimmyjasi-When will YOU stop cutting-and-pasting this same tedious comment? 🧐
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.
@@DWDocumentary 😁
Southeast Asian countries were looted too. Europe and the USA gained so much from this horrible thievery.
OMG! So nice to see Dr. Tukufu Zuberi! His books are amazing and does anyone remember the PBS television program History Detectives?? so good!
Germany still keeps stolen art from the holocaust
oh DID YOU MEANT 80% of the British museum's inventory.????
They just need to give back these peoples properties back dam it quit stealing these people identity
A step in the right direction 👏 Unless a civilization is extinct, we don't need museums to display what their culture was like, read a book or find out yourself, my Lord🙄
The British should return Indonesian tressure they took from the Yogyakarta royal palace
'time to return Nefertiti to Egypt...
Lol love seeing everyone being critical of the British museum
I am descent of return African American slaves and l am Nigerian.Bronze need to be return .You can't prove your ancestors came from Benin kingdom or surrounding area ever if they did.Its not yours to decided .it's Nigerian culture heritage.You don't see Nigerians demanding African American banjo 🪕 because it's model of west African guitar 🎸.
Yes you can spirit is truth. It's in our dialect we don't realize it
What a shame to them all , criminals, murderers,
At least some countries are getting their artifacts back... Russia melted mine down for the gold and we'll never ever get them back.
Wonder when the british pirates will return Greece her cultural artefacts
Yeah, yeah it’s all nice but how about you Return the gold and all the silver art.
Why keeping things that where not inspired by your ancestors? I can try to understand maybe there is nothing inspired by there ancestors on this earth.
Why European are so amazed of anything that is not their?
Excellent initiative, love this wonderful intiative from Pakistan 🙂
British Museum will be emptied.!!
And this is again THE main question... This is really the terminal concern on the matter of this topic 🤝🏻
If they made their living stealing other people's shit, then good riddance!
As it should be and countries should recognize the horror they brought to many of their colonies.
We want the cullinan diamond on the king's head to be returned back to our homeland south Africa thanks.
Belgium must have a lot of valuables to give back DRC
🥈🏵
A cargo of bananas is on his way to the DRC
Don't worry a tyre and a few bananas are being sent to the Congo so don't lose any sleep over it all
@@priorhen8105 cring
@@jacques.cousteau cring
Shoutout to investigative journalism podcast “Stuff the British Stole”.
It's hilarious to see Europeans/Americans seing accusing Russia for war in Ukraine WITHOUT sacrificing their own war crimes.
Do you think the Brits will ever return anything they have stolen?
Return the art to their respective countries, period.
Was she holding that artifact in her bare hands. The disrespect continues.
Return all originals and make copies to be kept by the colonial powers.
Yes, I heard that the Rosetta stone is kept in Britain and that Britain gifted a copy to Egypt? Like why would they do that?
Can we get the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece from the British museum!
📍18:36