The Louvre and the British Museum.. Between preserving world heritage and the right of peoples to their heritage

The Louvre and the British Museum.. Between preserving world heritage and the right of peoples to their heritage

The issue of repatriating artifacts and cultural objects from Western museums to their countries of origin (such as Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, and Greece) is one of the most contentious in the world of arts and culture today. What seemed two decades ago to be a symbolic or isolated measure has now become a global trend threatening the systems of major museums built upon colonial treasures. This debate is not merely a dispute over "legal ownership," but a struggle over the writing of history, identity, and cultural justice. Historical analysis reveals that most of these artifacts arrived in Europe through illicit means, whether through military plunder (as happened in Benin in the 19th century), illegal excavations, or under the pressure of colonial control, which allowed colonizers to seize what they found. For years, Western museums protected themselves with the concept of "world heritage," arguing that these artifacts would be safer and more accessible to the public …