FOR WHOM: For anyone who wants to learn more about cultural property that has been illegally removed from its original contexts
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WHY: Alexander Herman, the author gives us a wide-ranging and up-to-date overview of the most controversial cases, such as the querelle around the Parthenon marbles or the partial repatriation of the Benin bronzes, via the objects stolen from the Summer Palace in Beijing and the paintings requisitioned by the Nazis.
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LANGUAGE: Italian

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The issue of cultural goods illegally removed from their original contexts has animated global debate for decades. And it has gained new momentum since public opinion turned the spotlight on prestigious Western collections that hold treasures from countries that now claim ownership.
Alexander Herman gives us a wide-ranging and up-to-date overview of the most controversial cases, such as the querelle around the Parthenon marbles or the partial repatriation of the Benin bronzes, via objects stolen from the Summer Palace in Beijing and paintings requisitioned by the Nazis.
That of restitution, however, is a more complex affair than it appears, not only because it forces one to come to terms with the abuse of ancestors, but also because applying a contemporary idea of justice to instances of the past can come at an unforeseen cost. While it is unacceptable today for symbols of a religious cult wrested from indigenous communities to stand proudly in the museums of "predators," in many cases these are artifacts that have been part of those collections for centuries; some have taken on enormous cultural and even financial value for the institutions that house them, which may be unwilling to give them up.
In investigating how rededications can be negotiated, this essay also questions the very paradigm we have entered: the nagging to make amends for past injustices could have an irreversible impact on the cultural sector for years to come.