By Jones Anlimah
The German Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Daniel Krull, has announced that Ghanaian artefacts taken from the Volta Region to Germany will soon be returned. He made this disclosure on the sidelines of the maiden exhibition of German relics at the Volta Regional Museum in Ho.
In an interview with GBC, the German ambassador revealed that official talks are underway to facilitate the repatriation of the artifacts. “We are working on it, and it is about the return of cultural artefacts that are currently stored in museums in Germany. It is a cumbersome process, but I think we are making progress in the sense that we now have an established channel of communication between Ghana and Germany,” he said.
He called for more collaboration between the two countries to ensure the return of cultural artefacts. “There is a focal point on the Ghanaian side, so I will encourage all of you who are seeking the return of these specific historical artefacts to reach out to this focal point and make this process work,” he stated.
The ambassador expressed hope that the return of the artefacts would further solidify the partnership between the two nations. “I can assure you that there is great openness on the German side now, unlike decades ago. Today, there is more openness to work on the return of these artefacts. So I hope this institutional link will now help improve efforts to ensure that the historical artefacts come home to where they belong,” Ambassador Krull assured.
The announcement comes amidst growing global efforts to address the restitution of cultural artefacts taken during colonial times. For Ghana, the return of these artefacts represents a significant step in reclaiming its cultural heritage and strengthening its historical narrative.
The timeline for the artefacts’ return has not been disclosed, but stakeholders remain optimistic about the outcome of the ongoing negotiations. This anticipated repatriation aligns with broader efforts worldwide to address historical injustices and restore cultural assets to their places of origin.
