Workshop on “Restitution dynamics from Africa and the German debate”

Within the past years MIASA has contributed to ongoing research and discussions on sustainable restitution governance in West Africa by the work carried out by fellows in residence as well as during various workshops and conferences. Meanwhile, in Germany, it is still primarily the challenges faced by local museums, the prerequisites and results of provenance research, legal considerations regarding transfer modalities as well as political influences in favour of and against restitution that are being discussed. Largely absent from the German discussion so far are the (controversial) historical-political and identity-creating effects of restitution in African countries, the problems and possibilities of African museums – as well as universities – but also the negotiations between local communities of origin and nation-state actors. The upcoming workshop thus serves to discuss and promote the research findings on restitution issues, which were influenced at MIASA primarily from an African perspective, within the German academic landscape and thus stimulate further discussions. At the University of Freiburg a great deal of interdisciplinary interest in the topic has developed in recent years, both across faculties as well as in specialised units, which is the reason for organizing this workshop in Freiburg.

The workshop is organized in collaboration with the Africa Centre for Transregional Research (ACT) at the University of Freiburg.