Kristin Hausel and Elke Selter about their book:
The book tells the story of cultural objects that were housed in European institutions and returned to countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
In addition to in-depth analysis of relevant laws and policies, each of the case studies integrates interviews with those who were directly involved in those return processes, as well as those who were impacted by them, including museum staff, government representatives and community members.
The book presents previously unheard insights into past return processes, the manifold modalities that such processes have followed, and, at times, unexpected outcomes.
Contents:
1. Introduction: Looking Back to Move Forward
2. From Stockholm Back to Haisla Ancestral Territory: A Totem Pole Returns Home
3. A Two-step Process Towards Community Return: The Return of a Stolen Idol to Nepal
4. From Wales to Chile: The Return of Church Bells
5. Museums in the Lead: ‘Crossed Deposits’ between France and Cambodia
6. Returns and Reparations: Namibian Objects Returned by Germany
7. The Need for Provenance Research: The Return of a Dagger from the Netherlands to Indonesia
8. The Return of the Makonde Mask from Switzerland to Tanzania: The Role of Third Parties in the Return of Cultural Objects
9. Conclusion: Lessons Learnt from Past Return Processes
