Africa's looted art | DW Documentary
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- čas přidán 1. 09. 2020
- Africa’s colonial overlords brutally stripped it of countless cultural treasures. Now, the fate of these items is being hotly debated in Europe and Africa as well. Some say the pieces should be returned, while others have reservations.
European museums proudly present art and cultural artifacts from all over the world. But until recently, many of them have never considered their own complicity in the brutal ways in which the pieces were acquired. Only slowly are they starting to include the people to whose ancestors these artifacts once belonged in their decisions, although European colonial overlords pillaged and looted them in the first place.
The issue of restitution is taking on a new urgency in Germany, last but not least because of the controversy surrounding Berlin's Humboldt Forum, which is home to non-European collections. It's estimated that more than 1.5 million artifacts from all around the world are held in storage at Germany's ethnological museums. The Linden Museum in Stuttgart alone holds 60 thousand pieces from Africa. How many of them were stolen? And how do museums address the fact that their colonialist collectors had blood on their hands?
This documentary takes an African perspective on some examples, including valuable bronzes from Nigeria, an ornamental prow of a boat from Cameroon, and what is known as the Witbooi Bible from Namibia.
What do the people in the African countries where the pieces originated think about all this? What are the views of researchers, museum directors, artists and curators? What emotions arise when the frequently painful past is stirred up and examined? And how significant is the issue in the context of problems such as poverty, hunger and corruption in former colonies?
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The moral of the documentary is: Never trust foreigners bearing gifts.
Not foreigners - european colonisers
The native Americans second this
Big time.
@@Nutcrackercs European colonizers = foreigners bearing gifts
@Bleed The Machines It took the Industrial Revolution for Europe to conquer Africa. The Persians, Arabs, Romans and Greeks were able to conquer only the coastal part of North Africa.
The same people will tell you, you have no history .
That's because they (Westerners) themselves have no history.
Classic case of projection by a narcissistic self-serving and self-centered "civilisation" that goes around the world waging wars to exist.
@@nachannachle2706 Westerners have no history? What planet are you from?
cruz feel Precisely!🧚🏿♀️
@Lanette Amos thank you 👏🏽
Africans have a rich history and culture much of which most places still practice their original cultures.
As a Chilean person I first thought "maybe this is something I could not relate too much" and then I remembered that the british museum refused to exchange a brand new moai 🗿 for the one they stole and have on exhibition.
It literally contains the soul of an important person for the rapa nui people.
Colonization is something that hit us hard in our history and culture. And sometimes we overlook that is something we need to heal.
Are a native Chilean?
Why didn't Chileans explore the world?
@@fuckamericanidiot Your white race is slowly going extinct. Why do you think they're banning abortion?
@@fuckamericanidiot 🤷♀️why didn’t the British stay in their lane and mind their business instead of invading the land of others?
@@fuckamericanidiot nothing wrong with exploring the world. But colonizing and enslaving and stealing.... thats not exploring. That's pure evil from people who know nothing about the spirituality of this planet. Parasites I tell you...🙄
These artifacts must be return to their respective destinations. Europeans need their own artifacts that depict their histories, give Africans back what belong to them.
They let everybody kick their ass why do they deserve anything
They have nothing only bloodshed legacy
@@cytkl Ignorant statement.
@@cytklyou can say that again
Not just Africa. British Museum in London has almost nothing British in it. But it does have a huge collection of everything from around the world. And they call it British..
It has a lot of British things in it.
Brem It seems you’re mistaken most of em are from around the world. You may visit such site containing all the related data about those part as well.
@@krugerrogue4661 No, it is you who is mistaken.
That most of the exhibits aren't British in origin is not the same as there being almost nothing British. There are many thousands of pieces in the British and European sections of the museum. Perhaps you should visit it and see them as I have.
Maybe because it is situated in Britain? Like many other world museums taking names of their location.
Stolen and looted. That's what they know.
If they could, they would have carried the pyramids, taj mahal, Great Zimbabwe and all 😀
Yessssss... They still trying to figure out how the pyramids were made😒 but "they" built it.? We are NOT stupid.
@@luvburden5743 they carried what they could manage, the rest they destroyed it.
@@AA-ek5kz right!
@A Jx Exactly!
If they could they would have uprooted the land itself and taken to their countries.
When you go to thier museum they have nothing to show only stolen items from the same people they look down upon.
Oh I see. Paris, London, Rome, Edinburgh, Florence, Venice ... nothing to see there. No European art. Nada. I have seen less art from outside of Europe than from European artists in museums here. Actually the only exhibitions I remember were an Egyptian artefacts and the Chinese terracotta army temporary lent to the institutions by the respective cultural authorities. This comment thread shows the real problem.
@@MFCZcams683 You're missing it, entirely. The art you didn't see outside of europe aren't on display in museums, but locked away for obvious reasons. Further, at least the chinese were able to loan these ancient artefacts. The ancient artefacts of countries across Africa, even India, Australia, America, New Zealand were stolen and are either kept as personal art, hidden in the vatican or displayed in european musuems. They don't have the opportunity to be loaned or even KNOWN to the ancestors of those who created them. Many of these artefacts are spiritual in nature and not just for arts sake. But those who stole them know that....
When you're not aware, you're not aware....
@@Miracle-ms9hu that is a collection of lazy generalizations. Tell me, specifically!! What art would you exhibit from every culture and country you named? Not every stick with some colour on it is comparable to a Degas. Some cultures and religions had less permanent forms of art. Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas are more of a ritual despite being amazing to look at and insanely hard to do. You need to travel the world, read, learn and let go of your white-westerner-bad-bs.
@@MFCZcams683 For the simple fact that you're assuming, I will bid you farewell. Wholeness 🙏🏽
@@MFCZcams683 "not every stick with some colour on it I'd comparable to a degas", which begs the question why steal it in the first place?.......and why continue to hold onto these objects that are of no value?
Stolen items, when discovered, should be returned with apology ! you cant be a proud thief!
My point exactly💯
I couldn’t have said it better myself! 💯
Returned to where? What if a country is in civil turmoil? What if their storage facilities are poor?
@@fuckamericanidiot colonisers know no shame, they really are a walking contradiction
@@fuckamericanidiot What's that got to do with anything? Would you take your neighbours Ferrari from them because they aren't servicing it properly? It's their artefacts and if they intend to destroy them that's their prerogative. That patronising rhetoric is why we are where we are today regarding repatriation of this African loot.
The sad truth about this matter is an African must beg a German for the right to possess something that was never German. The real issue is Africans lack of power to take without asking.
I hope one day they have power to take it back. They need to unite🙏
Exactly
Exactly
AGREED... GERMANs DIDNT ASK TO HAVE THE PEICES , THEY TOOK IT,,,SOOOO WHy tf should WE ASK 🤨🤨🗣🤨
Many of them too scared to give them that Zulu work.
If someone burgles your house you don't have to prove you are a fit person to get your property back.
Brainaic
Brilliant!
Shameless
Facts 💯
Exactly 😂 💯 percent of course
You will never see documentaries like this on western television.
It goes against their selfish interest, so why would they bother?
DW is owned by Deutsche Welle, this is literally western television
This is literally a Western TV channel from Germany that made the documentary... dumb ass
im western, who even watches televsion
@@Starklar im television, who even westerns?
The level of entitlement is so mind boggling. The thought that thieves are debating the best way to handle giving back property to its rightful owners is just beyond beyond to me.
I literally want to throw up over this and got a nerve to to colonize them. I'm baffled...
Is mindboggling? This was 200 years ago.....
Slavery is still legal in Africa too btw. That's some serious entitlement issues!!
Right… what is there to debate?
"Just beyond beyond"
Good way to describe this
@@fuckamericanidiot "Lol i stole your shit 200 years ago so you should get over yourself" sure thing dude
Public stolen assets.
Funny people 🤣 they want to loan us our own property that they stole...... very annoying 😡
The irony claiming a group has no history yet having there history in your museums cannot have your cake a eat it too
Africa does have a long history - of not doing very much since the Stone Age.
@@tat007 🤖
@@tat007 Nubian architecture: Pyramids of Meroe, Pyramids of El-Kurru, Pyramids of Nuri, Pyramids of Jebel Barkal, Temple of Amun in Jebel Barkal, Temple of Mut in Jebel Barkal, Nabta Playa, Qustul Incense burner, Tomb of Qalhata, Tomb of Tantamani, western Deffufa, eastern Deffufa, Naqa, Musawwarat es-Surfra, Uan Muhuggiag, Sai island, Cave of swimmers, Temple of Soleb, Sabu-Jaddi, Temple of Amun in Naqa, Faras Cathedral, Granite columns of old dongola, Medieval Nubian Kingdoms: Makuria, Alodia and Nobatia and even had their own writing system called "Meroitic Script".(Still a lot needs to be excavated in the Sudan).
Abyssinian architecture: Temple of Yeha, Dungur Palace, Lalibela, Axumite Obelisks, Axumite coins, Fasil Ghebbi, Debre Domo, Ashlar, Adulis, Lucy Skeleton *Australopithecus Afarensis" and even had their own script called "Ge'ez".
All debunks that false statement.
@@tat007 you do know Africa was the first to enter the iron age? youve been commenting dumb shit throughout this forum
@@tat007 Lol you're every where in this comment section. I'm guessing you're not very happy with your own life so this probably an outlet for you. Understandable.
Can yall stop calling these pieces simply "art"? They stole deities, gods, pieces of culture and whole belief systems. This is so much more than art. This is identity and life.
You can say that again and again.
@@abimbolaorebiyi3582 Not to worry, It is us today it will be them tomorrow, they lost more than that.
"Simply art" - that says a lot about you. Aren't you an atheist too? Why do you care about nonsense artifacts when you don't believe in anything spiritual at all?
Your white guilt is showing
THANK YOU!!!
So the thief stole my bicycle; and now demands that I sign a permanent loan agreement for its return? Really?
Stealing art is stealing the extention of one's soul.
Yea pretty much. I view it almost the same taking a picture, or capturing ur picture. It almost capture ur spirit to an extent. It is difference between drawing ur picture and actually capturing it with a camera. They both can destroyed or preserved. So the 'arts and 'artifacts are apart of life; ie, music, dancing, ceremonies, passion, poetry, language and drawing.... ✊🗿🔭🗝🛠⚔⚖📚⚒📐🧐
Imagine the arrogance you want to loan us our property back na wah oh.
Always insisting on the false moral high ground
I tell u bruh!
Yeah, when will those arrogant african countries return the european naval artifacts they claim as theirs? Arrogant indeed
@@fgsaramago stop trolling and putting this dumb question on every comment!
@@aquafina6544 answer the question and ill stop asking it. Expect that you know im right 😉
Also, Im pretty sure people like you who take a very small portion of history and ignore the rest are the trolls here
They know that returning these artifacts will restore our soul ..thats why they still keeping them
To give those artifacts back is to admit we were the first of humanity on this earth.
I don't think that's really the focus of the issue; I mean ancient history is already very well established. It's more about today's superpowers admitting responsibility for pillaging and enslaving African races. They need to stop acting like the African artifacts they have came out of nowhere.
Does Africans tell Europeans how to deal with their artifacts??
How can Africans tell Europeans about their art yet whites made African believe they have no history. Knowing very well whites came from blacks as albinos.
How can Africans tell Europeans about their art yet whites made African believe they have no history. Knowing very well whites came from blacks as albinos.
They can tell them about the Europeans ancestors having tails and crawling on fours...also being cannibals to boot.
@@TheEnigmaticBM39 wtf? lol
They don’t have any artifacts 😁. But anyways I get your point.
A "permanent loan" is an oxymoron. I've seen Benin masks locally. It's a shame and infuriating when you think of how amazing African people are worldwide, yet so hated and exploited.
💯
They're hated? Color me shocked!
@@justdev8965 What?
They are? Hated by who? Asians? I don't know anyone who hates Africans.
@@justdev8965 what ???
I cried through this entire documentary. It's hard to understand how the descendants of Europeans can live with the legacy of such brutal and barbaric history of atrocities. As an African American it's hard to live without the knowledge of my heritage. Matter of fact it's unbearable. Who am I? Where is my culture, my people, my motherland? I have no idea of my ancestral heritage beyond my grandparents who have always pleaded with me to never forget I am an African. Oh yes, as stated in the documentary, "when you rob a people of their cultural heritage you steal their soul." My soul was stolen from me and I have long felt numb. Living in a society where I was not wanted and to which I never felt connected. It always felt as if something was missing. Yet, when I am amongst my brothers and sisters from the continent I always felt more comfortable. Where do we all go from here? We all need resolutions so we can move forward. I can no longer ask God for help. I ask you, all of mankind for help. As an African American with little knowledge of my ancestral heritage I fully understand the importance of culture, RETURN ALL LOOTED ARTIFACTS so the children of Africa can maintain their culture, their ancestral history, and most important, their soul. Peace to all.
Peace to you and every victim of injustice around the world.
Don't worry one way or another they paying by their own children. The evidence in your face no matter how much wealth they have they are deeply unhappy.
Hey you should do your dna testing. It will tell you about your self. I don't know if they still doing it now since it's saliva with covid in all but do it. Also why don't you take a trip to Africa visit 🙂
well said bob marley did say dont let them fool you - my mom went into care home home complosory purchased they took all the money when she died gt britain only great as it was the biggest looters
Maybe I can help, most of the slaves taken from Africa, came from west Africa so one of the tribes there could be your people, such as the Yoruba, igbo etc
- Owner: Give me back my belongings!
- Thief: I am sorry I killed your family and looted their belongings, but, I cannot give them back to you until you prove that you have the ability to keep them safe! You see, Once a thief, always a thief! I might come back and steal them again!
Just give them back their art!!
I don't understand how some one can build a mesium and not one of the artifact in the mesium belong to him. And he is even proud to display it to other people. What are they really explaining to the people that visit the mesium. That we stole this artifact in Africa or what. It's a shame and now we know who they are.
Africans see them as artifacts because these items were made by our ancestors. The people who chose to build those museums did so to house their SPOILS OF WAR. They show it off as proof of their conquest.
Look at these artifacts, we slaughtered thousands of africans to obtain them.
@@felix4321ful real talk. With that thought my ancestors are saying we Africans shall rise up and stand up for ever. The revolution is on it's way
I don’t understand either 🤣😂😅
J Medrano criminal history 🤣😂😅
@J Medrano stop being a child and face the topic tsk tsk
Exactly why All African’s in America or The Continent of The Great Africa should Connect and Heal Together ‼️‼️
Do you want to know why Africans are in America? I'll revisit this comment section to remind you. The truth cannot be hidden forever.
@@FERESE the slave trade
@@YeetTheMeat also africans i mean melanin people were here well before an african from africa being called an african ever set foot on the america
Black people were already living here in North America before white people came to take over. The so called native Americans are mixed Indians.
I'm thinking about taking therapy for racism.... all blacks who have experienced racism too. I think anyone 50 or older need therapy for racism in America.
Think of how much money they could get from tourism if people traveled to Africa to see African artifacts, which would help with building schools and other things.
😂😂😂
@@MFCZcams683 and you, you’re laughing for what? Tell YOUR "grand" idea🤨
@@antoniacapellaborges6566 tourism in Tunisia, Morocco, some in Algeria and of course Egypt will pick back up as will SA.
The kidnappings in the Sahara and the Sahel are one problem that needs to be solved. Ethiopia and Rwandahave huge potential for investment. The west must return the art and cultural heritage and while I disagree with Trevor Noah about reparations, the western ex-colonial powers should have to set up a fund maybe with the African development bank or the IMF or the world to help build secure museums or extend those existing if needed. Tourism on the African continent will return after the pandemic, but some of the destabilizing threats that are newer, like Boko Haram need to be taken care of before the tourism initiative could be implemented. Niger, Nigeria, Chad and CAR must find a means to respective sustainable cease fire. The Horn really needs to calm down and Eritrea much like other better off nations like the Senegal will need its young strong work force. This exodus to the west must stop. Countries in west Africa with relative safety like Ghana or Senegal are a great asset because there is infrastructure for tourism. And both are well represented in western Europe through diasporas and often mixed marriage which is amazing.
If Dambisa Moyo would be in charge of allocating the funds over the continent, to build the exhibitions strategically so that existing hotels, hospitality and natural beauty and exceptional sites are close. Infrastructure for beach or Safari holidays, or to like go see the Serengeti or whatever is not that expensive. My family in Kalâa-Sghira and Kigali don’t believe it can work. I do. But Boko Haram and other terrorist groups need to go first, we’ve seen in Syria and Lybia that they’re all too ready to bomb the very creed of humanity, nothing is sacred and nothing is holy. Especially the Syrian war was horrific in that regard. Also, Malema has to go, he is dangerous and he wants war. Ghana has gone ahead last year and told France it no longer needs its financial patronage. The mindset and mood in SA is very dangerous and more so since they changed the constitution (expropriation without compensation). If this economy is mismanaged and if the ANC and the EFF keep on giving land to untrained it will fail and implode like in Zimbabwe. The problem is, that SA is the strongest subsaharan economy, all other countries depend on this country’s stability and if you look at the currency, the last five years are a catastrophic sign. I think we will likely have to bail it out soon.
This could work.
@@MFCZcams683 So first, you wrote all this for what? You do realize there’s already highly touristic spots in Africa OTHER THAN THE NORTH?! Why are you bringing Boko Haram into the conversation as if RIGHT NOW there weren’t replicas of the Bini Bronzes in the Oba's palace or some museums like Nibe's where those militias have NEVER attacked! First Boko isn’t even the biggest problem, it’s a far more complicated matter than you make it seem but, the armed police and army are the real deal. Especially in the South WERE THE BENIN ARTEFACTS BELON NOT IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY 🤦🏾♀️! This is just regurgitation of the horseshit those Scavengers keep saying to absolve them of keeping LOOTED materials! Suspiciously, are you even Black 🤔? If not why are you talking? We don’t NEED more Western backed involvement nor do we need foreign tourists (we don’t want to be an Indonesia/Bali 2.0). With an average population of 1,216 BILLION people we have more than enough to self stimulate the rotating economy amongst ourselves.
@@MFCZcams683 Also you speak like a typical Mzungu 🧐 hmm... why are you conflating different countries issues with one another as if wasn’t a CONTINENT! SA problems aren’t Congo's nor are they Liberia’s nor São Tomé’s. With they way you’re talking most of those infrastructures won’t even be owned by US but foreigners (specifically White settlers again) so NO! My people don’t need to follow and fall into the trap of Western Hegemony. Just like our ancestors found their ways, the Westerners found theirs, let us BUILD OURS!
I am so happy that I found this channel. I can watch full documentaries in a good quality for free. Thank you.
You're totally right man 👏👏👏👏👍👍👍
I said again and again European doesn't have historical information of any kind.. What a shameful thing .. Why keeping an African art in your Museums.. Put your own heritage in ur museums
The British museum and other European museums are like a gallery of shame, why would they want to keep the artifacts, it's a constant reminder that the items were stolen, looted?
It reminds visitors that the current owners are/were robbers who pillaged and massacred the original owners.
SO SHAMEFUL!!!
they making money with attendence fees plus adding lies to the stories
True
Christianity spread from the Middle Easy and our cultures were destroyed by it
The Vatican has over 53 miles worth of historical information and refuse to make them public.... so I wouldn’t be surprised to know these so much we don’t KNOW
I'm a Edo girl and I'm Bini, honestly they took a lot from us,I used to hear stories of how we had a form of locally made street lights and how those bronze were used to decorate the Palace, my Mum ( who is ora from owan west, Edo state) actually saw the local lamps we made from palm oil or so,I can't remember clearly but it was from a natural product and it has a native name in my mum's ethnic group, they called our languages vanacular and our people primitive, yet we invented clothes like Adire( tie and dye) Aso oKe, unique art works, locally made soaps and accessories like coral beads etc, we had mud houses which provided warmth during cold and cold during warmth,it was a natural temperature regulator, woven items and so many more, in Benin ( Nigeria) there are no new roads because all the paths which formed roads today have been interlinked for many years ,that's why one place can have three different roads of accessing it, what I plan to do in future is to document nigerian languages and create an app and plead to the government to make our indigenous languages as official languages along side English like what South Africa did, before our languages go extinct, they took our art which was all that was left due to distraction of our palaces, and now our languages are vanished, I don't have anything against the Europeans, we have forgiven them a long time ago but what they did to us, really ruined our mindset, if Africans built on their native inventions we would have been so ahead, those days how many Africans fell ill or even had diabetes or all those other illments, we ate fresh vegetables and a balanced diet, we drank Agbo ( local herbal medicine) my mum still buys ruzu bitters because they helped us stay healthy, black soup is also very good from the skin and made from local products, they need to return these artifacts belonging to Africans and Asians at least 85 % to boast tourism and also because its ours, whether whatever we decide to do,its our decision to make, until we Africans realise that our ancestors were not primitive and our language isn't vanacular but theirs is to us, then we can begin to move forward culturally as a people, the Asians did it and look at them today, one of the top richest men in the world is an Indian they were colonised by the British but they still let their culture grow and survive including their languages though the British still have the kohinoor, which isn't nice in my opinion, I'm happy that these countries are still prospering in their true identity. GOD BLESS AFRICA 🌍 🙏
EVERYTHING OF AFRICA NEEDS TO BE RETURNED TO AFRICAN FOR THE HONOR OF MY ANCESTORS
Everything that belongs to Africa will return to it's people one day and they won't believe what hit them
I know I was thinking that too we the slaves of the ancestors need to be returned too we was stolen as well..... America is the prison we live in. When they stole us they stole our souls as well sad.... too
Even the France NT players
A serial murderer always keeps a souvenir of each of his victims. That's what these museums and secret troves are.
All facts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crystal clear comparison.
Ooh that makes me nauseous 😣
YES ! WE LOST THE WAR SO WE GIVE UP OUR STUFF !! THAT'S THE RULES. STOP WHINING !!
We want them back..No African is really in the mood to negotiate for looted artifacts...the argument that we cannot take care of our own heritage is demeaning and preposterous.
Exactly. What is the Nigerian artist talking about? They need to build a place for the artifacts? Insanity- brainwashed, colonial mindset. Her husband is correct: put them in the palace they came from originally!
Charla Gotier fact the must go where the belong point bar.
Not in the mood. Ati, prove your lineage. Foolishness.
Is it true or not? Corruption and civil war are widespread in Africa.
You don't speak for 1.2 billion people.
Maybe....just maybe.....most Africans don't actually care.
DW Thanks for putting this together! It’s a great step to bridge gap between Africa & Europe. I look at this with optimism, that we can work out past differences and bridge a better and fair future for the next generation.
Agreed children must be taught our own history including cultural heritage. It provides them with a sense of who they are. Very important.
You have to teach the parents first.😔
I’m sure the child with a hungry belly and both parents died from AIDS.
Is going to feel a lot better seeing some artifacts from 200 years ago
They have no will to return those arts. You see Germany is returning a Bible. A Bible is not an African Heritage. These people have no shame. As Africans we need a Serious decision. Not demanding.
Pacific Ndondo The HEBREWS WERE BLACK. THE OLD TESTAMENT IS AFRICAN. Through and through.
We just need to colonized Europe at this point and forced to give our ish back
The Bible is indeed african heritage. Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt all have sold early Christian heritage.
check yayah Ben rabbi
A Bible and a whip. That’s some symbolism for yo azz. 🤦🏾♀️ wow
They have even looted the word “loot” itself.
They put the "S" in steal.
lol
🤣🤣
As a young, white American struggling to fit into this world, I find myself regularly saddened by these things with little idea how to help outside of educating myself on such matters. Wish all the best for the return of history.
As a young black African, I can tell you this. You're not guilty of anything, you don't have to beat yourself up. But it is important that we humans must collectively be aware of the duty to empathize. You can not like the other, that's your right. But we should never try to dehumanize him. Once you dehumanize someone, anything can happen. And always do your best to always speak out against injustices, wherever they come from.
@@franckattede4046i completely agree, we do need to emphasize with others, but we shouldn’t dehumanize
I'm an engineer I saw that guy's helmet on the preview that is massively intelligent on so many levels I can almost see why the Europeans didn't want them to see that that blows him out of the water even by today's standards
The same way you guard your van gough and picasso's is the same way we regard our history, artifacts and traditions. It's high time European museums returned this stolen history . You had not problem returning looted nazi art or Egyptian mummies so must you return our heritage. Enough is enough. Come to our museums to see our art not for us to discover it in your countries.
KW, we'll eventually get enough leverage to get those returned. Because enough is enough. they haven't returned the many mummies spread across europe. a whole separate legal battle is ongoing .
The insulting part was that many more pieces were torn, broken over the decades. i saw so many with my own eyes. what you see here is a tiny portion. because of racist policies, the pieces were first classified as belonging to animal kingdom . then caucasians moved it to the ethnographic parts of the museum and from there 5 decades later those made their way to regular museum viewing. You see the pattern here. So this means in 130 years, we've got to see the work for 20 years only and only in these shores.
Yeah, why dont the africans do likewise? Why should I have to go to Angola to see beautiful portuguese ship cannons and jewelry from the 16th century? Why dont they give it back?
Saramago, Portugao will be dealt with also. those museums , we need those cultural heirlooms. we keep the canons because those were used to blow up africans to pieaces so they stay because our flesh bits is all over it.
@@PHlophe go educate yourself kid. Africans didnt have advanced navies. Those cannons were used against other European ships
Saramango, what are you arguing about , that we don't deserve our own cultural heirloom or that we owe the portuguese something when they were never invited in our shores in the first place, di you miss the part where i said our blood and flesh is all over hose canons and those boats ?. They came they bombed the place. O saramango i will teach you how to stick with the topic at hand. Africans populated this entire planet well before Branquinhos mutated from the african genome. Get real meu filho.
Give the people back their artifacts that were taken/stolen!
Impossible. British museums will have nothing left.
It’s ab#hame that they are still profiting from these stolen art from Africa
When there is no enemy within the enemies outside can not hurt you.
You see how short Grandma speech was short, bring them back!!!
😁😁
RETURN THE ARTIFACTS , that's it!!
Cry me to the river.
They won’t sadly not now any way
It don't work like that. Grow up
@@gino2868
yes it does lol
@@TrulyAlkaline no it doesn't
The first thing that annoys me about colonialism is that they sat down and divided the continent without involving Africans, the owners of the land
That is sad.. here I am thinking to get our of America to a free land only to find out colonialism exist in your country is sad, can't get awaay from white supremacy I see !!! for crying out loud help us GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@reginasmith6276 You know what you can do?
Ghanaese president is right when he calls for ghana citizens to return back.
You should ask yourself if you really want to know, or else dont ask us in the first place. Make an anchestor test ask your relatives and so on.
Go for holidays return after satin money buy a Land, work, build a house. The average living cost is low so your richer by the end of the day. Plus if you dont want it sell it. That is what helps africa. When citizens return to their countries and help it to grow stronger. We have witnessed to much hatred for simply just being born. Now we should use what we learned to devolp our continent. "If your black you are an african, no matter where you were born".
Greetings from german
Stay safe
You might wanna take that anger up with the Muslims recolonize Africans for 800 years. If it wasn’t for colonial powers they’ll still be walking on dirt .
@@walpurgina8366 that's a great idea. All the African people return to their place of origin. Build museums so you can have these things back.
"When you rob entire people's heritage, you have stolen their souls."
Very true statement by the chief in the video.
How arrogant for someone to steal your stuff and then put it on public display !!
I requested this topic in your poll. Great documentary!
Jase, well done, Pal.
Where can I find the poll?
Wow your so special
@@soccer90tem80 thanks!
Thank you for that!
"35:05 equal partners? We don't even let them in" . Truer words have never been spoken!
But being equal partners does not mean that you have to move into my house.
@KenyanButterfly That hit deep!
Probably the same story in Australia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, North America etc
Anywhere you see Christian people practicing roman catholic traditions.
San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Pablo. California was created with indigenous blood spilled from the Oregon to Mexican borders. All most all my Mexican coworkers have Spanish, Greek and Italian/Roman names. "Conquistadors who took their share". Trent Reznor.
That man is right about hostages in those museums. For years the only owl I ever saw was a stuffed one in a science museum.
In my African accent: "Is this why they can't find their own dance moves? 🤨"
Ballet?
@@gabriellavictory3080 copy!!
Tiktok????
They are culture vultures. Look at Brazil. We always welcome them, teach them our ways while they preserve their own and take from us.
I believe presently now that we have the internet and more African dances including tribal and including new age are slowly making its way to the rest of the world I have seen videos where they show white kids and Asian kids and Indians doing African dances African hip hop moves and everyone around them standing around stopping their feet giving them praise and they're coming say oh look at that white girl look at that white girl they can dance they got moves I promise you just like the belly dance samba bachata salsa merengue even capoeira will be stolen and then said that they invented the dance whether it's 100 years from now it will happen one of these days when we are no longer alive to prove where it came from we will be fighting for our truth 100 years from now
well, this is a german tv station telling us how they stole... the irony... huh
😁
Impunity of the highest level
Ah yes, the infamous "german tv station" looting of african countires.
Anyways, this is more of a confession than anything else. How is this even remotely ironic?
Slavery n European colonization is just a distraction for all Dark skin people from clamming their aboriginal right which allow us have access to all our lands which extend from Africa to Europe, America, Asia and middle east.
@@its4481 I get what You are letting me know.
Hmmm....
These "art pieces" may have significant spiritual meaning. They should bring everything back so we are able to fully reconnect with our ancestors and be able to thrive again as a continent
Amasela amangisi
Well this is vexing, thieves not wanting to return stolen property. Disgusting.
The Vatican is filled with such loot. 😐
The Byzantine Empire would agree.
There needs to be some sort of exploitation of this! The queen of England too. Let's not pretend like USA doesn't have their foot in something as well. Corruption everywhere.
who tryna do a heist ?🤔
@@kingabriel119 One good larceny deserves another! 😉 btw, that's what the Notre Dame fire was about...the only way they could legally move Antiquities. 🤔
Not true.
Every time I hear them speak it sickens me to my soul. They have lies and excuses for any given situation. Should it matter to them how they will be stored? What should matter is that you stole and killed to obtain them. They don't belong to you. How should you treat a thief? If you recover what the thief has stolen you return it to the owner. That is your law. But in this situation it doesn't apply. Why is this?
Lying is as natural as breathing to them. Even today, with having the internet and technology exposing them, they’ll still say they’re telling the truth. It’s embarrassing.
I agree with both of you, @Char and Benahin. The words coming out of the mouths of these European curators of stolen property sickens me. Just sickens me. To say that we just have to accept that in some cases there will be no resolution is a nerve you shouldn't have. You walked into someone's home and took what wasn't yours. Maybe if the African nations of my ancestors were able to file criminal charges stating the fact that these museum's are in possession of stolen goods (not loot or artifacts which changes the narrative) with courts and judges using the same rule of law we have today, retroactively, things would be returned swiftly.
Because simply your not going to do shii to them but run your mouth beautiful sister mlk prepared you just to sit here in take this from the white men he got your Hopes up for a new form of slavery we are seeing today but RIP RIP MLK ig..
It is making them MONEY.
@@whoopiegee8205 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯
This travesty will NEVER go unpunished in OUR lifetime!
This is the equivalent of someone walking into your home, stealing your possessions, and putting it on display at their home. The thieves will always create excuses for their thievery...and do everything except the right thing. It's the thieves nature
They came ....they started the war with eyes on the artifacts. They set those British men to go to Benin at a sensitive time to DIE just to steal artifacts.Well , Europe , karma cannot be dodged!
I don't believe the story of the 7 British that lost their lives. If they can twist the Bible and sell Cesare Borgia to us for centuries, they are capable of anything.
One day Africa without borders WILL happen. And when that day comes we will have the political power as a country to do more than ask.
@DistriktA keep sleeping on us
@DistriktA keep sleeping on us haters.
@DistriktA keep sleeping on us
@@kwamebushman606 Africa needs communism!
You do not have to ask someone who stole from you if you may have what is yours back. ThaT is what everyone should naturally act like they know.
This documentary should be on the curriculum of every U.S. school's history classes between 8th and 12th grade.
Ant Blanke definitely agree 100 percent.
@42:26 power came through me as he said, teach our children!😢 our ancestors n God will definitely keep in touch with us.
Returning all items stolen from all countries will bring about great positive karmic energy and then rest. When I see items in museums from other countries, unless they are clearly stated that they were appropriately gifted, it makes me feel sick, as one can imagine how they were taken. There is no pleasure in that. Seeing them in their own country's museums, however, would be more satisfactory, on so many levels. Thank you for highlighting this.
I am surprised they haven’t tried to take the great Savannah with its animals with them. And redirect the river Nile 🙄
Kenyans tried to get our artifacts from British they said we should pay for them . As if their whole life wasn’t built on extortion.
Sad my sister.
Not the Kenyans too this is breaking my heart. What the hell happened to Africa ? did this happen all over the continent ?
Give all the artifacts back to the original regions back . They should be prepared to take it back if not given.
Africa will rise and suprise the world
@Mellivora Capensis aaaah yes, power always changes hands - the slaves soon become the masters.
That time will come we are spiritual people.
@Mellivora Capensis o bua nyaona.
@Mellivora Capensis kere nyoana ya hao
@Mellivora Capensis u call us names but u sitting with our artifacts in Europe if we are less intelligent why u dont return our artifacts?
"These are ceremonial objects, they're not just ornamental. Merely ‘looking’ at objects is a European cultural practice" - THIS RIGHT HERE! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
But we still need to account for the fact that a lot of our own African communities have been changed, be it for the good or the bad, so I totally agree with the argument that they belong to the people. Protected for generations to see and not just given to the royal palaces alone. There are generation of people of those entire communities that have lost out. It’s not a nice return if it cannot be returned for the entire community to have the opportunity to go look at and celebrate. Because where is the argument of their importance if entire village, town, or tribe cannot appraise it.
If African and Native American civs had been as technologically advanced as Western Europe, they would have done the same. Fact.
Keep creating don't ever stop!
The sheer arrogance and audacity to even suggest a loan or even to question the readiness is utterly disgusting.
Return them and pay reparations.
Good documentary reminds me of the museum Scene in black panther when Killmonger asks where the pieces originate from and how they came into possession of them. Very powerful and let’s you see the truth in what really happens in the world
Pa Osaruyi Okundaye, Enikaro debawe BABA. Everything stolen must return to their rightful heirs.Long live the GREAT Benin kingdom.
I am of Caucasian descent but my race's past makes me sick. My heart aches for anyone on earth who's culture was looted or suppressed by conquest and the vile ills of colonialism. I find the African continent to be the most beautiful and rich in culture. I hope one day I can visit every part of The African continent. My love and hope goes out to all seeking to reconnect with their ancestral identity.
I'm glad to hear that you wish to visit, you are welcome here anytime
I'm glad to hear that you wish to visit, you are welcome here anytime
Keep your evil wherever you are
Yeah go visit an I guarantee you'll get robbed within 10 mins of setting foot outside the airport.
There not much to see really, no interesting buildings, no beautiful cities, almost every "old building" was built by Europeans. North Africa is the exception to this.
Quite enlightening and educative. Africa needs justice.
Everybody: give us our art back
Them: we invented it
Me:😒
Shame on your
you guys didn't invent most of the important shit
@@alelujah100 and thus?
The artifacts are not for you people. Return them, forget about getting to the bottom of this. You all took these art without approval now the owners of these need approval. Smh
IMAGINE SOMEONE STOLE SOMETHING THAT BELONGS TO YOU THEN YOU HAVE TO BE BEGGING THEM BACK FOR IT, THATS BULLYING
A very interesting history that I never heard from anyone or any politician. well done!!!
Our identity as Africans ties to these artifacts. Many young Africans don't know who they are, who their ancestors were. We were told we had no history until the colonial masters came to "help" us. It is no wonder Africa still struggles today. Africa may not make significant progress if proper restitution is not made by the West. They stole from us and they need to own up to it and return what they stole.
If you truly value culture for its individuality, then you'd know that Africa isn't just one country and Benin's the center of it all. In any case, if one really wishes to pursue their true heritage and go back to their roots, an ancestry DNA kit is a reliable way to find the answer.
@@Zeno362 She never said Africa is one country, but multiple african countries are affected by looting of their national treasures. As for ancestry dna, i also considered that. My maternal great grandparents were Yemeni jews who migrated to Ethiopia, and i'm curious whether it would show that in my dna. But considering how your DNA can be collected and potentially abused, it's in my opinion best not to send your material to these commercial dna databanks. I'm taking a guess here but looking at her name @Opetunde Adepoju she probably knows her roots.
Funny you use the term "stealing" so liberally because I dont know what else to call the endless debt pardons african countries get almost on a daily basis. The europeans have long paid for for any artifact they took
❤
As Italian and European, I'm very sorry about our ancestors done to yours and continue to do in the present😢
Nike's ignorance is appalling, she needs a history lessons. If according to her we can't take care of them when if they're returned, how does she think they taken care of before they were stolen? Those artefacts where made hundreds of years before they were stolen and their replacements immediately after these were stolen are still very intact in Benin museum and the Oba palace. Kudos to her husband for jumping into the conversation to correct her ignorance.
Timestamp please
So when Africans find artifacts from Europeans theyre theirs to keep but when its the other way around they were stolen? Some funny logic you have...
@@fgsaramago Are there African groups funding digs in Europe?
Ok hater
Pls ignore that foolish comment. As you can see, the those artifacts were not the only things the Europeans took, they also took Nike's common sense.
im glad that this program has the brutal honesty which people need to hear. some of the benin bronzes are beginning to be returned by institutions, i hope this can encourage more people to stand up for this issue.
African Art is not just Art. It is a lot deeper than that. They are also cultural and spiritual objects.
Too much talk from the looters. Just return the artefacts and we can start the discussion after that.
Naiive thinking. Just look at the struggles many jewish descendents have and continue to go through to get back art that was looted by nazis.
@Clem Fandango how sure can we be it won't be full of smallpox?
@Clem Fandango no, what we haven't forgotten is what your lot is capable of when you have what they want.
@Jonny B I Agree the original Jews were black. but, in regrades to this video. The message is clear and, simple. The government must RETRUN THE ARTIFACTS IMMEADIEATLY!
@@joeskys2362 ok. We are talking about WESTERN AFRICA. not the Jews. Jews might have been black but come on now. We are talking about traditional valuable and honorable artifacts not just regular artifacts but a historical artifacts that probably lived more than you. Imagine if someone just barges in your house and steals all your valuables. You cant replace those things in Africa. Those are irreplaceable.
This is maddening.
NOTHING THEY STOLE ARE WORTH THE PEOPLE YOU TRADED. MY PEOPLE ✊🏾🤴🏾👸🏾🤲🏾
Agreed
How can you permanently loan something you stole, to the people you stole it from?! SMH!!
Can we also get our natural resources back too? And stop the neocolonialism going on in Africa from some European countries
Yes. Global African conciousness needs an awakening. Africa has been feeding the world via human capital via enslavement, natural resources, and culture. We need a return on our contributions ASAP! ✊🏿
Jess J actually I would love to have more exposure to African culture. Asians (in particular Indians, Chinese, Japanise) have quite successfully made their culture known worldwide by opening their traditional restaurants, selling art, clothes, jewelery etc outside of their continent. I mean yes stolen artifacts should be returned to their african owners but I would be happy if african migrants opened more businesses which would be based around african culture, traditions
@@matchaa121
North African culture is well known worldwide, mostly Egyptian and Moroccan.
@@matchaa121 The Africans face alot of racism out there. Most Africans are even banned from the US & the western media is always dedicated to degrade Africa. African culture is still big in Africa but can't spread out
@@JessJayEel they are not waking up , they are Christians now lol, 10% maybe , but they want to forgive , like white Jesus , and continue to be enslaved .
I can’t think of any other state funded TV channel that brings such objective documentaries .
vielen Dank ✌️✌️
arte
Killmonger in the musuem is my favorite scene in Black Panther. That's what it takes.
agreed!
Great video, though I jsut wanted to say that the captions are a little delayed! It could be a problem on my end, but if not I just wanted to say that in case anyone else has had any difficulty focusing with the delayed captions!
Beautiful Benin kingdom. Oba ato or, ise. The first parade is the Benin kingdom culture of the south south of Nigeria and still in practice.
Ise
It's "Oba ato pe e" reply: isee meaning may the king reign for long, amen!
Ise !!!!
@@GracedVille maybe it's autocorrect 😅
Greetings to all countries and cultures affected by colonialism. I support the current fight to get your artifacts back, Africa! Here in Mexico we have so many big, important, and beautiful museums and yet Austria refuses to return Moctezuma's headdress ! I hope one day all these stolen artifacts can return to their rightful owners.
They stole Montezuma's headdress too?!! Chile... 🤦🏾♀️ I can’t....and why Austria if all place?!
GRACIAS. es la verdad.
Austria must think Quetzal feathers just manifested in Europe.. would not the Spanish have stolen it? And it ended up in Austrian?
Do you know who else is looting Mexican artifacts? Mexicans. In Mexico. In 2022. Not 1822.
Not as long as the whiteman is around
A similar situation happened to Ouidah/Whydah - Kingdom of Dahomey, contemporary Benin, by the French army in 1904.
Thank you.
Thank you for watching!
As an African I find no words to express how this makes me fill, how evil can these people be. They came to Africa and ravished this land... and even today some of them are racist to people of this land.
Heard they still colonizing Africa to this day ?
Why haven't they return these precious artifacts yet?
@sneksnekitsasnek SMH, sad. Regardless, their govt must make an obligatory action to return them. Afterall, it isn't their 'history' to flaunt in a museum. 😔
They are waiting for the "rightful owners" to make their claims. They purposefully refuse to acknowledge that, unlike Western civilisations, there is no "rightful owner" in African cultures: the artifacts belong to the TRIBE.
This is just another cunning way Europeans have found to deceive Africans: use their own whitefella benchmarks to set the framework under which things must operate.
I don't know why these African chiefs even bother having a dialogue with such a self-centered breed of people. They should simply file a lawsuit and raise money from their diaspora to pay the lawyers. Europe is bankrupt and half-dead under Covid-19: Museums won't bother fighting for artifacts that cost them more than it brings them revenues.
@@nachannachle2706 You're racist, you know that right?
@@nachannachle2706 filing a lawsuit is a good idea, given that it has been so long and yet the government has not made any plan or show willingness to return this looted history.
However, I get why the Prince has not done it yet, because He would like to maintain a diplomatic relationship with De.
They say that there's not sufficient proof that he's the heir but we do know for a fukkin fact that the artifacts aren't the Germans!! How bout that? 💪🏾👊🏾🤷🏾♂️
Everything must be returned. There is nothing complicated about that.
YOU MUST BE UNEDUCATED !! WINNERS OF WARS GET TO KEEP THEIR STUFF !!