Archive · 20 May 2025
Dutch Museum Returns Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Imagine a museum in the Netherlands had some very old, beautiful statues called Benin Bronzes.
These statues were taken from Nigeria a long time ago, in a bad way.
Now, the museum is giving them back!
It's like returning something that was borrowed without permission.
These bronzes are super important to Nigerian culture.
The museum director thinks it's right to return them because they were taken by force.
The museum is sending 113 of them back, and other places are returning their bronzes too.
The statues will go to a special museum in Nigeria so people there can enjoy them and learn about their history.
A Dutch museum is returning 113 Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.
The bronzes were looted from Benin City, Nigeria, over 120 years ago.
The Netherlands is returning a total of 119 bronzes.
The British Museum has refused to return its Benin Bronzes.
The bronzes will be sent to Lagos in mid-June and eventually displayed in Benin City.
- Who
- Wereldmuseum, Nigeria, and the British
- What
- Return of Benin Bronzes
- When
- 1897 (looting) and mid-June (return)
- Where
- Netherlands to Nigeria
- Why
- To return looted cultural artifacts.
- Artifacts
- Benin Bronzes
- Dutch Museum
- Wereldmuseum, Leiden
- Bronzes Returned
- 113
- Origin Country
- Nigeria
- Looting Year
- 1897
- Bronzes' Return Date
- Mid-June