SPK researches the origin of human remains from East Africa - Gerda Henkel Foundation supports the project
Press release from 08/02/2017
As part of a pilot project, the SPK will be researching the provenance of around a thousand human skulls from the former colony of German East Africa from the beginning of October. The project is based at the Museum of Prehistory and Early History of the National Museums in Berlin and is funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation.
The skulls are part of the anthropological collections that the SPK took over from the Charité in 2011 in extremely poor condition. Over the past few years, they have first been extensively cleaned and conserved. In order to clarify their origin, the scientists responsible have set up a research database and carried out initial research in foreign archives.
The two-year project to process the holdings from former German East Africa is also intended to serve as a model for future research into the provenance of the other human remains in the care of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History. To this end, the sources for the collection, which are scattered around the world, must be recorded and analysed. Scientists from various disciplines will work together on the project, as knowledge of ethnology, anthropology and colonial history is required. The aim is also to establish an international network with scientists from the countries of origin concerned (Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda) in order to ensure appropriate research.
Hermann Parzinger, President of the SPK: "In order to be able to decide what to do with the human remains, we need to know exactly where they come from, in particular whether they originate from a context of injustice. The decision on restitution also depends on the results of the research. Depending on the origin of the remains, we look for the most appropriate solution. If we can clearly assign them to a society of origin, we will consult with their representatives on how to deal with them and discuss the restitution."
Michael Hanssler, Chairman of the Management Board of the Gerda Henkel Foundation, adds: "The project offers a great opportunity to show how restitution concepts can be developed on an equal footing with scientists from the target regions. From the Foundation's point of view, it would be desirable for this pilot project to set standards for a - long overdue and fair - dialogue with partners from former colonies on the future handling of their cultural heritage."
As the primary documentation of the anthropological collections maintained by the Museum of Prehistory and Early History no longer exists for the most part, numerous other sources must be consulted in order to research them. For example, the records of collectors, some of which are in public archives and others in private ownership in Germany and abroad, are relevant. Because collecting activities were often embedded in a colonial infrastructure, records from economic, military or ecclesiastical institutions are also of interest. Supplementary (non-invasive) anthropological studies of the objects themselves can also provide important insights into their origin and acquisition.
Separate invitations will be issued for a press event to mark the start of the project.
The SPK's handling of human remains is based on the guidelines of the German Museums Association and the SPK's own basic positions developed for this purpose. These state that provenance research comes before any other research.
The Gerda Henkel Foundation was established in June 1976 by Mrs Lisa Maskell in memory of her mother Gerda Henkel as a non-profit foundation under private law based in Düsseldorf. The sole purpose of the foundation is to promote science, primarily in the field of the humanities. To date, it has supported more than 6,600 research projects worldwide with around 160 million euros. Since 2015, the foundation's "Patrimonies" funding priority has increasingly focussed on the preservation of cultural heritage, particularly in crisis regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, it supports projects to preserve oral memory in Cameroon and Gambia, to digitise manuscripts in Mali and Mauritania and to research archaeological evidence in the DR Congo and Ethiopia, among others.