​A MEETING FOR DIALOGUE

A MEETING FOR DIALOGUE - Conversation about potential options for repatriating cultural assets to Cameroon

On the 17th of January members of the Interministerial Committee for the Repatriation of Illegally Exported Cultural Goods, as well as selected representatives of traditional Cameroonian royal families visited the Weltkulturen Museum. Frankfurt’s City Councillor Dr. Ina Hartwig was also present.

Dialogue with Cameroon is a fundamental component of reappraising holdings in German collections which stem from a colonial context – something that German museums view as their obligation.

The museum's collection comprises around 14.000 objects from Africa, of which around 2.000 are from Cameroon and neighbouring regions. The majority of the objects came to Frankfurt during the German colonial period, for example through missionaries, explorers, military officers and dealers. In addition to everyday objects, the collection also contains objects of power, such as a throne and royal pipes from the Grassfields as well as weapons or masks from various regions. The majority of the collection has not yet been exhibited.