The artifacts were taken to the European continent at the end of the 19th century, when British colonialists plundered the treasures of the palace of the Kingdom of Benin, a historical state located in today´s Nigeria territory.

After the looted items were sold at auction, part of the interior of the palace ended up in Germany.

In total, some 1,100 ivory, gold, silver and bronze objects belonging to the kingdom were found in 20 German museums.

The handover ceremony for the museum valuables in the Nigerian capital Abuja was attended by the German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock.

It was a crime to steal these bronzes and it is unjust to keep them today in museum warehouses, the politician said. According to analysts, Germany’s actions are likely to become an occasion for Nigerian authorities to increase pressure on other countries whose museum collections display the palace treasures.

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