Inconvenient Heritage

Colonial Collections and Restitution in the Netherlands and Belgium
Erscheinungsjahr 2022
ISBN: 978-94-6372-059-5
Verlag: Amsterdam University Press

Buch, Englisch, 248 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

The discussion about objects, ancestral remains and archives from former colonial territories is becoming increasingly heated. Over the centuries, a multitude of items – including a cannon of the King of Kandy, power-objects from DR Congo, Benin bronzes, Javanese temple statues, Maori heads and strategic documents – has ended up in museums and private collections in Belgium and the Netherlands by improper means. Since gaining independence, former colonies have been calling for the return of their lost heritage. As continued possession of these objects only grows more uncomfortable, governments and museums must decide what to do. How did these objects get here? Are they all looted, and how can we find out? How does restitution work in practice? Are there any appealing examples? How do other former colonial powers deal with restitution? Do former colonies trust their intentions? The answers to these questions are far from unambiguous, but indispensable for a balanced discussion.

Autoren/Hrsg.

van Beurden, Jos

Fachgebiete

• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft | Kulturwissenschaften Museumskunde, Materielle Kultur, Erinnerungskultur
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Postkoloniale Geschichte, Nationale Befreiung und Unabhängigkeit

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface

Two countries in one book – In search of a framework – About this research

Part I: A Decisive Phase in an Old Debate?

1. Choosing Colonial Collections

2. The Great Heritage Migration

3. Museums in Motion

4. The ‘Sans-Papiers’ of Colonialism

Part II: Thrifty Returns in the 1970s

5. Indonesia, the Netherlands and Diponegoro’s Kris

6. Congo, Belgium and Leopold’s Troublesome Legacy

7. Suriname, the Caribbean and the Netherlands: More Returns on the Way?

Part III: Recent Returns

8. The Campaign for Maori Heads

9. Fruitful Cooperation around Archives

10. Farewell to Over 18,000 Objects from the Museum Nusantara

11. Benin Dialogue Group: A Model for a European Approach?

Part IV: Private Collections – Less Visible, but Not Less Important

12. Missionary Organisations and Superfluous Collections

13. Colonial Objects in Trade and with Private Persons

Part V: Towards a New Ethics

14. Lessons from Settler Colonies and the Restitution of Nazi-looted Art

15. Trust, Equality and Justice

Acknowledgements

Consulted sources

Index

Über Autor(innen)

van Beurden, Jos
Dr. Jos van Beurden is a senior researcher colonial cultural collections and restitution (Free University, Amsterdam). His most recent publications are: Treasures in Trusted Hands – Negotiating the Future of Colonial Cultural Objects (Leiden 2017) (nominated for the NWO Boekman Dissertation Price), and The Return of Cultural and Historical Treasures – The Case of the Netherlands (Amsterdam 2012).
For his merits in the cultural heritage field, Van Beurden was appointed Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau. Jos van Beurden is founder of the news-clipping service RM* (restitution matters).