The historical approach to restitution claims
It was a long path to the current opennes to discussion at the Linden-Museum.
In July 1984, a restitution request from Tanzania was effectively disregarded.
This concerned 21 objects from the former Kingdom of Karagwe, situated in present-day Tanzania and Rwanda. Similar requests from Tanzanian historian Israel K. Katoke had already been unsuccessful during the 1970s and 1980s.
“Meine Aufgabe als Museumsmann”
(engl. "my duty as a museum man")
Friedrich Kußmaul (1920-2009), the director of the Linden Museum at the time, forwarded the claim from Tanzania directly to the Federal Foreign Office.
Simultaneously, he strategically used his position to prevent the restitution of objects.
The rejection of the restitution of the objects is clearly reflected in the letters of the former director.
On the following site you can find excerpts from a letter to a private individual who inquired about restitution possibilities in 1978. In this letter, he clearly positions himself against any restitution claims.
TRIGGERWARNING:
The following letter excerpts contain racist and derogatory content.
Please decide for yourself whether you wish to continue here.
