2016 - News - Detail Page - Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz

Parzinger says: "The position of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation regarding the return of the bust of Nefertiti remains unchanged. It is and remains Egypt's best ambassador in Berlin. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation is also very interested in good co-operation between its museums and Egyptian experts and is currently formulating initial ideas for cooperation. I will also explain these cooperation proposals in my reply to Zahi Hawass."

The bust of Nefertiti, which is now admired by visitors from near and far as part of the Egyptian collection in the Neues Museum on Berlin's Museum Island, was found during a scientific excavation authorised by Egypt in Tell-el-Amarna in 1912. The excavation was made possible by funding from the Berlin merchant and patron James Simon and was led by Professor Dr Borchardt from the Imperial German Institute for Egyptian Antiquities. From the outset, the agreement with the Egyptian side provided for the then customary sharing of finds in return for the funding. In order to ensure that both parties received equal shares of the excavation finds, it was agreed that the archaeological team would divide the find into two parts and the Egyptian Department of Antiquities, representing the Egyptian government, would then select one of them. This is exactly what happened. The objects were precisely recorded in lists. Photographs of the outstanding artefacts - including the bust of Nefertiti - were available, which clearly reflected the beauty and quality of the objects. The opened boxes were also available for inspection. There can be no question of any deception in the division. The documents clearly prove that the Prussian state acquired the bust legally and that there are no legal claims on the part of Egypt.