The Adama Toungara Museum of Contemporary Cultures (MuCAT), in collaboration with the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, the Museum of Civilizations of Côte d’Ivoire, and the Rotonde des Arts, announces an exceptional exhibition: “Whispers from the Archives – In the Footsteps of Hans Himmelheber.”
This large-scale project, part of the cultural cooperation between Côte d’Ivoire and Switzerland, was presented on December 4, 2025, at a press conference held at MuCAT Abidjan.
At the heart of this project is the return to Côte d’Ivoire of unique archives, consisting of thousands of photographs, films, and written documents.
Rare documents collected by the German researcher Hans Himmelheber during twelve trips between 1933 and 1976. The exhibition runs from December 8, 2025 to March 8, 2026.
Nearly 15,000 photos, dozens of films, and thousands of handwritten pages, testify to exceptional work carried out with the Baoulé, Dan, Gouro, Lobi and Senufo communities.
This project also involves the return of 107 cultural objects, originally collected by the German ethnologist Hans Himmelheber during his research in West Africa between 1933 and 1976, to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The project not only acknowledges the importance of returning heritage items to their rightful communities but also highlights the need for dialogue and partnership in such processes. The Swiss-Ivorian cooperation serves as a model for other countries and institutions facing similar restitution requests.
The relevance of this initiative extends beyond Switzerland and Côte d’Ivoire. In recent months, similar restitution cases have been observed in Germany, where museums have begun the process of returning artifacts obtained during the colonial period. Notably, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin received approval to return two drums and two horns, considered significant royal insignia, to Ghana. One of the horns is believed to have been taken during a palace looting by German forces in the colonial era.
These developments reflect a growing recognition of the rights of origin countries to reclaim cultural assets that are integral to their history and identity. The return of such objects is not only a matter of legal or diplomatic negotiation but also of historical justice and cultural reconnection. It allows for the restoration of cultural narratives and supports the revitalization of traditions that may have been disrupted by the loss of these artifacts.
