Recent Posts
It’s no easy matter resolving the current ethical debate over the retention and exhibition of human remains. But one public collection is asking visitors to cast their vote
Latest Restitution News
Recent articles added to our comprehensive resource list of restitution news from around the world
SEP 2025
Netherlands
The Dutch government has agreed to return to Indonesia the Dubois collection of 28,000 fossils, collected when Indonesia was a Dutch colony
SEP 2025
United Kingdom
A growing number of British people polled in a recent survey - 56% - want the Parthenon Marbles returned to Greece, compared to 53% in 2024
SEP 2025
United Kingdom
Bristol Museum has returned 33 artefacts collected during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to the Larrakia people of Australia's Northern Territory
AUG 2025
France
France has returned three skulls to Madagascar, including one believed to belong to King Toera, beheaded by French troops in 1897 and taken as a trophy to France
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From the Editor
The latest analysis and reports on cultural restitution news
It’s no easy matter resolving the current ethical debate over the retention and exhibition of human remains. But one public collection is asking visitors to cast their vote
“Would be nice to have a more frank discussion about how objects are collected for the Museum. Saying ‘Donated’ is not enough”
Last week, a delegation of Naga people signed a declaration that will lead to the return of 41 Naga ancestral remains currently held in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
About Cultural Restitution
Cultural restitution is the process by which a moveable object of historic or cultural value is returned to its country of origin after being seized, looted or acquired against the will of its owners. But it's more than just an act of return. It represents a growing recognition of the need to correct injustices committed in the past.
Today, as society’s values and the role of museums change, the legitimacy and ownership of these objects – as well as those thought to be procured legally – are coming under a spotlight. As complicated and sensitive as this debate may be, there’s no halting the growing debate between museums and communities of origin to find solutions that build new bridges of friendship and cooperation. This involves a new approach to restitution built on transparency and fairness - engaging with source communities and ensuring their voice is heard.
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Mapping the location of cultural restitutions
Our extensive Global Archive provides invaluable links to many other restitutions and other restitution news taking place around the world - organised by country.
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A Museum Perspective
"While the motivation behind the acquisition of ethnological material can appear strange today, it reflected curiosity about the wider world and a desire to represent diverse cultures. However, the European bias and power imbalances that often characterised this collecting have left a complex and sensitive legacy for us to address today."
Kathryn Thomson, Chief Executive National Museums NI (April 2025)
