Ethiopia has welcomed back 12 historic artefacts that had been in German possession for over a century. The artefacts, which were once owned by Germany's envoy to Ethiopia Franz Weiss and his wife Hedwig, have been returned to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University after more than 100 years.
The collection includes crowns, shields, and paintings that are considered culturally and historically significant in Ethiopia. Professor Ramon Wyss, whose father was born during the family's diplomatic posting in Ethiopia, handed over the items at a ceremony attended by Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa.
According to the family, the artefacts were either gifts or purchases. The minister expressed her gratitude towards Professor Weiss's family for their love and dedication to preserving these artefacts and ensuring their return to their rightful homeland.
The move marks a significant milestone in safeguarding Ethiopia's cultural heritage. During colonial rule in Africa, thousands of cultural artefacts were plundered, and efforts have been ongoing to retrieve them. In 2022, Germany returned some Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, an initiative aimed at addressing its "dark colonial history".
Ethiopia is also a recipient of a significant collection of Benin Bronzes.
The collection includes crowns, shields, and paintings that are considered culturally and historically significant in Ethiopia. Professor Ramon Wyss, whose father was born during the family's diplomatic posting in Ethiopia, handed over the items at a ceremony attended by Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa.
According to the family, the artefacts were either gifts or purchases. The minister expressed her gratitude towards Professor Weiss's family for their love and dedication to preserving these artefacts and ensuring their return to their rightful homeland.
The move marks a significant milestone in safeguarding Ethiopia's cultural heritage. During colonial rule in Africa, thousands of cultural artefacts were plundered, and efforts have been ongoing to retrieve them. In 2022, Germany returned some Benin Bronzes to Nigeria, an initiative aimed at addressing its "dark colonial history".
Ethiopia is also a recipient of a significant collection of Benin Bronzes.
! Ethiopia's got the artefacts back and it's all thanks to Professor Wyss and his family being super cool about repatriating their ancestors' stuff 
. I mean, we can't even imagine how emotional it must've been for them to hand over these historical relics after over 100 yrs 
. It's like a major step towards #JusticeForCulture and showing respect for the past 
. And I'm loving that Germany is taking steps to own up to its colonial history, returning artefacts like Benin Bronzes to Nigeria in 2022 was a great start 
. Ethiopia getting these artefacts back is super significant and will hopefully lead to more repatriation efforts worldwide 
#CulturalHeritageMatters #RepatriationIsKey
I'm so happy for Ethiopia!! 
This is such an amazing gesture by Professor Wyss and his family - it's like they're giving back to their roots, you know? 
Those artefacts are super culturally significant, and I can imagine how meaningful it must be for the Ethiopian people to have them back. 
The Benin Bronzes initiative is like a new standard or something... let's hope more countries follow suit 
! It's about time those historic artefacts were returned to Ethiopia after being held in Germany for over 100 years 
. I mean, think about all the cultural significance and stories behind those crowns, shields, and paintings... it's a huge deal for Ethiopian history and identity 
.
. Ethiopia's rich history deserves to be celebrated and cherished - I'm stoked this artefacts are back where they belong 
!
this is amazing news! i mean, think about it, these artefacts were taken away from ethiopias soil for over 100 years and now they're back 
. now, let's hope more countries follow suit and return what's rightfully theirs 
.
germany finally doing the right thing and returning these historical artefacts to ethiopia after over 100 yrs! it's like they're making amends for their colonial past 
!
The Germans did some shady stuff during colonial times, but at least they're making amends now. I'm also hyped about Nigeria getting their Benin Bronzes back - that's a step in the right direction for African countries to reclaim their cultural heritage 
. Don't get me wrong, it's great that Ethiopia got back some historic artefacts, but have you seen the condition of the shields? I mean, they're probably covered in dust and cobwebs after being stored for over a century 
. And what about the Benin Bronzes collection? Are we just going to forget about Nigeria's struggle to get their own stuff back? It feels like there's some kind of 'colonial guilt' trip going on here, where everyone's all happy with themselves because they're returning artefacts, but no one's addressing the root issue 
. And by the way, why did it take over 100 years for Professor Wyss to get his family's stuff back? Talk about a slow response 
!
it's like they're bringing them home finally. you feel like a part of ethiopian history is coming back to its people, and that's amazing 
. anyway, ethiopia getting its cultural heritage back is like a big win for the community 
!
and I'm so glad the Weiss family decided to let go of their past & return them home 
. And I love how Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa is super passionate about preserving Ethiopia's cultural heritage 
. It's like, totally deserved after all the colonial stuff that went down 
Anyway, it's awesome to see the Weiss family finally returning these precious artefacts to their rightful home, and I'm loving the fact that Prof Wyss has a personal connection to Ethiopia - talk about making it personal 
. And, can we just give a round of applause to Germany for taking steps towards addressing their "dark colonial history" in 2022? It's like, progress, guys!