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A total of Twelve cultural items were officially returned to the Ethiopian nation after staying by a household from Germany for more than ten decades.

These items, originally gathered in the 1920's by the German then-envoy to the Ethiopian empire a German envoy and his spouse Hedwig, were delivered on Wednesday to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at the capital's university.

This collection included crowns, armor and artistic works, each considered as historically significant in the country.

"These artefacts continue to stand as a mark of the long-standing and amicable relationship between the German nation and the Ethiopian people," said the German diplomat, Germany's ambassador to the East African country.

Professor Ramon Wyss, whose parent was born during the household's assignment in Ethiopia, presented the items at a event witnessed by the Minister of Tourism the tourism official.

He stated that the household's goal to restore the treasures was to "share their beauty with the people and preserve the heritage and past tied to my father's birth."

These artefacts were either presents or purchases, according to the relatives.

"We would like to express gratitude to Professor Weiss's family for concretely showing their profound appreciation for Ethiopia by carefully safeguarding these items and crucially guaranteeing their homecoming to their legitimate homeland," said the tourism minister.

She added that the items would soon be available to the people for study and scholarly work, terming the action a milestone in preserving Ethiopia's historical legacy.

"Efforts persist to repatriate old items that are found in the possession of individuals and institutions around the planet," she affirmed.

In the era of imperial control in Africa, numerous of historical items were plundered.

The call by African countries for the return of stolen objects has been met with some positive outcomes in recent years - even if some artefacts are just on short-term display.

In the year 2022, Germany was the initial nation to return some of the renowned Benin artifacts to Nigeria as part of an effort to deal with its "complex legacy."

Connected Topics

• Historical Repatriation Initiatives in the Continent
• The Significance of Imperial Past on Modern Ethiopian Culture
• International Movements for the Return of Looted Treasures