Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Ethnological Museum of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin, Germany last week returned 23 pieces of ancient jewellery, tools and objects to the National Museum of Namibia (NMN).
Their return is part of a collaborative project called ‘Confronting Colonial Pasts, Envisioning Creative Futures’ that seeks to unlock the healing and creative potential of the colonial collections taken from Namibia.
Berlin’s Ethnological Museum has been working with the National Museum of Namibia since 2019 to discuss the future of hundreds of objects taken to Germany during the colonial era.
The objects were collected from different communities across the country between 1860 and early 1890.
The returning items were selected by Namibian experts who have been working on a joint research project between the German institution and the Museums Association of Namibia.
According to Museum Association of Namibia (MAN) chairwoman Hilma Kautondokwa, the selection of the artifact was based on their scarcity in Namibia.
“This academic exercise intends to rewrite the narrative around the collection of the artifacts from a Namibian gaze and to find the true origins, use and significance of the artifacts and how they were collected,” Kautondokwa said.
She added the idea is to have the public interact with the artifacts as the project participants will spend the next few years having in-depth consultations with communities from where they were most likely taken.
The artifacts include an ancient three-headed drinking vessel, a doll wearing traditional dress and hair pieces and other fashion accessories.
According to the Museums Association of Namibia, the project will reconnect the collections with each other and with their communities of origin, researchers and artists in Namibia.
The head of the National Museum of Namibian and director of the National Heritage and Culture Programmes, Esther Moombolah-/Goagoses, told journalists in Berlin that this process is a step towards reassessing the long, complex history that Namibia and Germans have.
“We urge all future partners to follow suit like this institution. Namibians should not have to get on a plane to see their cultural treasures which are kept in boxes in foreign institutions,” said Moombolah.
The president of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which runs the Berlin museum, Hermann Parzinger who accompanied the items to Namibia says it is important to find ways of dealing with the colonial past.
“We can really be thankful for this cooperation and the spirit of this cooperation. It enriches us as well. Therefore I am happy that we have now returned the 23 objects. The cooperation always starts with returns but it does not end with returns,” he said.
Parzinger added that his foundation has a larger collection of Namibian cultural heritage pieces in other museums in Germany.
The project also includes the creation of a new museum to be known as The Museum of Namibian Fashion.
The project aims at using these processes to reactivate knowledge about the artifacts, document and preserve immaterial and material cultural heritage, and provide a vital source of inspiration for artists and designers.
The project is funded by the German Gerda Henkel Foundation.
*This article is an updated version of a previous report that was published on our social media platforms and website on 25 May 2022. The initial version contained information that was factually incorrect and has since been removed. The Namibian wishes to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
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