While these requests were initially denied by Western governments and museums, the agitation continued.
However, since 2021, a paradigm shift in Benin’s object restitution debates has emerged, with several European countries adopting a pro-restitution stance, prompting a re-evaluation of the legal framework.
Curators have played a key role in this process, as they are the backbone of museums, which explains their previous rejection of restitution requests by the Nigerian government and African groups until recent years.
This article explores and explains the distinctiveness of the Swiss restitution debate, noting that it is driven from the bottom up – unlike in many European countries, such as Germany, where the debate has been government-driven, making the Swiss approach unique.
