The issue of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures is raised in an extensive article in the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“Like Johnson’s own political fate, the controversy over the sculptures flares up again,” the paper commented on recent developments, recalling that the Times, which has always advocated keeping the so-called “Elgin Marbles”. in Great Britain, recently requested their return. “Times and conditions have changed.”
Acropolis Museum
As the author of the article points out, although the Parthenon sculptures are not part of the dialogue that has begun on aspects of colonialism, it takes place in parallel with discussions about the return of objects, which force Western museums to redefine their place. According to the publication, “the Greek argument” of the name of the sculptures is now added to this factor. Returning to Melina Mercouri’s 1986 speech in Oxford, the article points out that in the meantime, the term “Parthenon sculptures” has become widely accepted in Britain as well. “Eventually there was widespread acceptance of their return. In the past, there was talk of heavy air pollution in Athens and the absence of a suitable exhibition space. Since 2009, however, the new Acropolis Museum is indeed ready to receive the marbles from London.”
The article also refers to Johnson’s argument against the Greek Prime Minister “that the return is under the responsibility of the Board of Directors of the British Museum. The museum, on the other hand, is based on a law of 1963, which prohibits the disposal of exhibits with few exceptions. In addition (the British Museum) argues that it would be tempting for the two major museums to share the Parthenon sculptures, thus exhibiting two complementary narratives – the history of Athens at the Acropolis Museum and that of a network of world cultures in London. ” . An argument that according to the author of the article is doubtful how much it can still stand.
In conclusion, the FAZ article recalls that, as a student, Boris Johnson stressed that the return of the sculptures required a new law “something that was presented as an insurmountable obstacle, while, as he put it, could only be done in one afternoon.”
DW / Chryssa Vachtsevanou
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