Parzinger on dealing with human remains: We conduct research in order to be able to give back
Press release from 03/13/2018
The President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Hermann Parzinger, has pointed out that provenance research in the SPK's collections is always designed to recognise unlawful acquisition and, if necessary, to return objects. This applies in particular to human remains. In this context, Parzinger mentioned the anthropological collections in particular, which the SPK had taken over from the Charité in a catastrophic state in 2011: "We launched this project, for which the Gerda Henkel Foundation is providing us with significant support, in October 2017 because past injustices need to be made good. The human remains that were collected without consideration at the end of the 19th century, solely with the aim of building up the largest possible stock of 'researchable material' in Berlin, must not continue to lie as an anonymous mass in our depot. If skulls can be clearly categorised, we will do everything in our power to return them. And in a timely manner."
Correction, 13 March 2018, 14:28: For Parzinger, it is essential that the approximately one thousand human skulls from the former colony of German East Africa (now Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and a small part of Mozambique) are handled with dignity. He emphasises that a responsible dialogue with the communities of origin is not just a phrase. "We agree with the Rwandan ambassador that we can only return the skulls once we know exactly where they came from.
Together with scientists in the countries concerned, the origin is now being analysed. This example shows once again that provenance research on collections from colonial contexts cannot only be carried out at the German green table, but that we are dependent on our local partners. This is why the important German debate must be followed by a new understanding of cultural and scientific cooperation."