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Wolfram Weimer, Minister of State for Culture and Media, says: “For me, provenance research and the repatriation of human remains are central concerns in coming to terms with colonialism. The SPK project investigating human remains from West Africa is a flagship initiative that sets new standards in direct dialogue and trusting cooperation with the communities of origin. The fact that German representatives travelled to the communities concerned to share findings and discuss possible repatriations was received with deep appreciation on the ground and has impressively demonstrated the existential significance that the return of ancestors holds for local people and for reconciliation. My special thanks go to the representatives from Togo and Cameroon, who have contributed to this project with great dedication and expertise.”

Marion Ackermann, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, explains: “Researching the origins of these skulls is not merely an obligation for us, but a central concern. Wherever possible, the human remains should be able to return to where they came from. That is why we have communicated the research findings and our openness to repatriation to the countries of origin. With this new publication, however, the findings and the scientific approach are now accessible to the general public as well.”

Following an overview of the history of anthropological research, the volume examines the reconstruction of the colonial context, the public debate on human remains in Germany, and colonial networks. In this context, it also presents the recorded memories of Togolese and Cameroonian elders regarding German colonial rule and their experiences of colonial labour. Finally, practical aspects of repatriation are discussed. 

The book concludes with a comprehensive catalogue of the human remains examined, including the individual research findings and the local attribution of the skulls. Of the 574 skulls examined, 336 could be attributed to areas in present-day Cameroon, 151 to present-day Togo, 23 to present-day Ghana and one to present-day Nigeria. In 63 cases, no precise attribution was possible. A significant proportion of the skulls originate from workers who perished during German railway construction in Cameroon, but also from plundered necropolises or battlefields. In very isolated cases, there is evidence of executions carried out by Germans.

Joint research on anthropological collection 

The human remains examined form part of the historical anthropological collection of around 7,700 skulls, which the SPK took over from the Charité in 2011 in an extremely poor condition. Many of them originate from the so-called ‘S-Collection’, which Felix von Luschan compiled from almost every part of the world at the turn of the century. Other remains come from the skull collection of the former anatomical institute at the Charité, as well as from other smaller collections.

Due to the size of the collection and the diversity of its geographical origins, it was not possible to examine the entire collection at once. The human remains from West Africa, which at the time of acquisition was to a significant extent under German colonial rule, were therefore – as previously the holdings from German East Africa – examined as a sub-collection. Hardly any written records had survived regarding them. To clarify the exact origin of the skulls, intensive archival work, on-site field research by local scholars, and anthropological analyses were therefore necessary. The involvement of representatives from the countries of origin was a central aspect of the research. The publication was also produced through a Togolese-Cameroonian-German collaboration: Prof. Dr Simo is Emeritus Professor of German Studies at the University of Yaoundé. Prof. Dr Kokou Azamede teaches German Studies and History at the University of Lomé. As curator at the Museum of Prehistory and Early History, Bernhard Heeb is responsible for the reappraisal of the anthropological collection. A further publication, “Human Remains from the Former German Colony of East Africa”, detailing the results of provenance research on skulls from the former colony of German East Africa, was published in January 2023. In this first project, the provenance of around 1,100 skulls was investigated. This brings the total number of skulls processed to around 1,700 out of a total of 7,700.

Previous repatriations

In recent years, the SPK has already repatriated human remains to the USA, Australia and New Zealand. A return of items from the German East Africa collection has not yet been possible, despite offers having been made to the countries of origin. Last autumn, the Republic of Ghana was offered the return of objects containing human remains.

Further information on the SPK’s handling of human remains can be found at: www.preussischer-kulturbesitz.de/schwerpunkte/provenienzforschung-und-eigentumsfragen/umgang-mit-menschlichen-ueberresten.html