A marble head of a man dated from 150 CE has been repatriated to Greece by the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster in Germany. The museum returned the artifact after concerns were raised over its ownership records by researchers.
During a repatriation ceremony, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni lauded the deal as fair resolution between the two museums, with repatriation cases between different countries often resulting in legal battles.
“For me as the head of a university collection, it is a little painful that such an exciting object is leaving our collection. But for me as an archaeologist, it is a happy day that this marble portrait is returning to its place of origin and can be viewed and examined again in its original historical context together with other pieces from the same workshops,” said Prof. Achim Lichtenberger, Director of the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster, at the handover of a Roman portrait head to the Archaeological Museum in Thessaloniki. It had found its way to Münster under unexplained circumstances - the reason for University Rector Prof. Johannes Wessels to return the marble piece to the greek State.
Main Image: Kurator Dr. Torben Schreiber packt den Kopf vorsichtig ein.© Archäologisches Museum Münster
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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