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International Relations and the Politics of Cultural Restitution

Rouven Symank

Kommentar

In recent years, the restitution of cultural objects has gained significant political salience across Europe. This remarkable shift is underscored by President Macron’s 2017 speech at the University of Ouagadougou, the pivotal 2018 Sarr-Savoy Report, and Germany’s return of 20 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria—with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock acknowledging “Germany is taking seriously its efforts to address its dark colonial history.” While restitution claims are not a new phenomenon, they have now become a prominent item on political agendas within international relations. The seminar will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of key questions in cultural restitution and the methodological tools needed to form their own responses. Integrating theoretical approaches from international relations and normative political theory, the curriculum will apply these analytical tools across a series of key case studies of bilateral restitutions, with a regional focus on restitution claims to French and German state museums. Furthermore, it enables students to critically and comparatively evaluate restitution in international relations from a normative perspective: how international norms and normative theories (e.g., counterfactual reasoning, attachment-based claims, structural injustice) and the legacy of heritage law (e.g., the 1970 UNESCO Convention) shape—or ought to shape—contemporary restitution policies. We will conduct a midterm field visit to the Humboldt Forum, which will include an expert-led museum tour to directly engage with the course themes. Please be advised that both the reading materials and the seminars will be conducted in English. Schließen

16 Termine

Regelmäßige Termine der Lehrveranstaltung

Do, 12:00 - 14:00 16 Termine

Do, 17.10.2024 12:00 - 14:00

Dozenten:
Dr. Rouven Symank