Restitution Governance - Current Status and the Way Forward

Abstract

Ever since the famous speech by French President Emmanuel Macron in Ouagadougou in 2017, the return of artworks looted during the colonial era, as well as of ancestral remains and other types of goods that were extracted without consent, has been discussed more widely and intensely than at any moment before – both in Africa and in Europe. There is both considerable hope and impatience and despair in regard to whether this will in the end lead to substantial returns. The manifold actors, processes and fora involved in this endeavour at times also create confusion, and issues of legitimacy, representation and inclusion abound. This contribution on restitution governance is based on a pilot test of a questionnaire completed by 36 experts. From an analysis of their responses, one may conclude that situations in which claims for restitution, negotiations and returns occur vary considerably. Experts in the field have seen significant progress in the way museum employees and directors as well as some media houses deal with the topic. While the debate on restitution has increased interest in the colonial past in general terms, what is lacking is a concrete translation of this debate into school and civic education.