Five Ancestral Remains Returned to Australia

Five sets of ancestral remains from Australia, held in German museums since the 19th century, were officially returned during a ceremony in Berlin, which was described as a 'sad but very joyful' occasion by community representatives. The remains, three from Berlin and two from Oldenburg, were handed over as part of Germany's ongoing efforts to return cultural artifacts and human remains taken during colonial times. Hermann Parzinger, head of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, acknowledged the historical injustices of these collections, noting that they were obtained without regard for the dignity of the peoples involved. Since 2021, Australia has received 162 sets of remains from Germany and approximately 1,700 globally. The Australian ambassador to Germany emphasized the importance of these returns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, marking them as a high priority. This event reflects a broader movement towards acknowledging and rectifying colonial-era wrongs in cultural heritage.