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A total of 12 cultural items were formally restored to the Ethiopian nation following being kept by a family in Germany for in excess of ten decades.

The items, originally acquired in the 1920s by the German diplomat to Ethiopia a German envoy and his wife his partner, were delivered on Wednesday to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at the capital's university.

The collection featured crowns, shields and canvases, each viewed as culturally valuable in Ethiopia.

"The items continue to represent a mark of the enduring and positive connection between Germany and Ethiopia," remarked the German diplomat, the representative to Ethiopia.

Professor a professor, whose father was born during the household's assignment in Ethiopia, delivered the items at a event attended by Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa.

He said that the family's intention to restore the items was to "display their appeal with the people and preserve the heritage and past connected to my parent's birth."

These artefacts were either gifts or acquisitions, as stated by the relatives.

"I would like to thank Professor Weiss's relatives for concretely demonstrating their profound affection for Ethiopia by carefully safeguarding these treasures and crucially securing their repatriation to their legitimate nation," commented the minister of tourism.

The minister added that the pieces would in the near future be available to the public for study and scholarly work, terming the decision a milestone in protecting the nation's cultural heritage.

"Actions persist to repatriate historical objects that are located in the hands of collectors and organizations around the world," she said.

During colonialism in the African continent, numerous of traditional items were plundered.

This request by African countries for the repatriation of stolen items has been answered with some progress in lately - even if several objects are only on loan.

In two years ago, the German government was the first country to repatriate a selection of the famous Benin Bronzes to the Nigerian people in a bid to deal with its "dark colonial history."

Related Topics

• Cultural Return Initiatives in the Continent
• The Significance of Colonial Past on Modern African Heritage
• Global Campaigns for the Restitution of Looted Items