Parthenon Project: a new British campaign lobbying to revise British law to facilitate the return of the Sculptures

Many salient points made by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ address at the 77th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (New York, 23 September 2022) and that included the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0_Xdy_44cs

At 15.49', Prime Minister Mitsotakis also spoke about the Parthenon Marbles and Greece's continued efforts to reunite the sculptures in the Acropolis Museum.

"Our long and continued efforts to reunite the Parthenon Sculptures back in Greece, in this effort we have received support from the vast majority of member states as well as from UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee. We thank you for that support."

"No matter how long it takes, the Parthenon Sculptures will eventually be coming home."

"Collective multilateral solutions can make a difference in many aspects of our world but also with regards to safeguarding culture and upholding respect for cultural heritage." Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece speaking at the United Nations 77th General Assembly. 

On Monday 28 November, Greece's Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, met with King Charles III in the Windsor Castle, accompanied by his wife Mareva Grabowski Mitsotaki.

The PM then went onto to the LSE to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hellenic Observatory. In conversation with LSE’s Kevin Featherstone, they discussed the challenges facing Greece and Europe.

Is Greece on the path to a sustained economic recovery? How substantive have the reforms been? With elections due next year, and with recent controversies, political stability seems at a premium. What vision does the PM have for Greece? And, how are the geopolitics of the region changing? Where does Greece stand on the new issues facing a changing Europe?

Kyriakos Mitsotakis was elected Prime Minister of Greece in 2019. Kevin Featherstone is Eleftherios Venizelos Professor in Contemporary Greek Studies, Professor in European Politics and Director of the Hellenic Observatory.

Watch the live event by following the link here.

The first question asked by Professor Featherstone was one that his wife had requested he put to the Greek PM: "If the British were to give the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece, would you be willing to be PM of the UK?"

PM Mitsoakis smiled graciously and answered by saying that he was delighted to be at the LSE and to congratulate the Hellenic Observatory on its very successful 25th anniversary as these years had made a great contribution to the study of modern Greece. PM Mitosotakis also remembered his days at the LSE, 35 years ago when he was in London as an exchange student from Harvard University. He went on to add that the reunification of the Parthenon sculptures is close to his heart and that it is a cause that all Greeks would like their government to work towards achieving.

Professor Featherstone asked:"Is it doable?"

PM Mitsotakis replied instantly:"Potentially, yes!"

He went onto explain that he did not wish to speak publicly about the discussions Greece is having and went onto to say that he felt that there is a better sense of understanding, and that a solution can be found that would result in the reunification. He also mentions the support of British public opinion, ( that has been there for sometime and the result of the years dedicated to this cause by many not just in Greece and the UK but globally too). The PM also stressed the word reunification, and the will to see the surviving sculptures in situ next to the Acropolis, in the superlative Acropolis Museum.    

November is one of those long months, almost at the end of yet another year. It certainly has caused plenty of media frenzy in past years, and this year seems to be no exception.

Our own enthusiasm with regards to the dialogue that has been ongoing between Greece and the UK on the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles was resting on 'British fair play', and Greece's magnanimous gesture of more Greek artefacts not seen outside of Greece to be exhibited at the British Museum, a gesture made over 23 years ago and repeated ever since.

There was concern for George Osborne's suggestion of a 'Parthenon Partnership', exchanges of cultural artefacts with rotating loans that would enable the British Museum to continue to hang onto the sculptures already in Room 18. This 'new' British Museum vision, falling short on the call to reunify the surviving Parthenon Marbles, in the Acropolis Museum. 

This weekend's interview between Laura Kuenssberg and PM Mitsotakis, followed more coverage on Monday, and the cancellation of the meeting with PM Sunak. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised but what is more of an affront was that PM Sunak suggested PM Mitsotakis meet with Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister.

Many of you will remember that for 19 months from Feb 2020 to Sept 2021, Mr Dowden was also Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. There have been so many in that specific post during these past 13 years, that one could be forgiven for not remembering.

The Times interviewed Mr Dowden in March 2021: "Dowden said that while he loved the Benin Bronzes, he had “never related that much to the Parthenon Sculptures". He added: “Would they have survived the Nazis rampaging through Athens during World War II. It is a slightly trite argument but there is a truth. Would the Benin Bronzes have survived various international conflicts?”

Needless to say some of our members took to what was then twitter to express their disappointment at Oliver Dowden's comments.

PM Sunak's decision to cancel his meeting with PM Mitsotakis today, Tuesday 28 November, was made late in the day, and the suggestion that the meeting could take place with Oliver Dowden, a person that two years ago was unaware of how the Greeks safeguarded their artefacts during WWII, was not going to make PM Mitsotakis any happier.

Maggie Dietz's 'November' poem begins with 'Show's over, folks', and the media's coverage of PM Mitsotakis London visit this November simply highlights the regressive stance of the UK with regards to the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles. For now we will continue to hang onto Janet Suzman, our Chair's words: la luta continua.

Wednesday 06 March 2024 and our thoughts are with the Hellenic spirit that was Melina Mercouri.

Three decades since Melina passed away, at every protest, every campaign, every thought that is directed at the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, also embraces Melina's soulful and heartfelt pleas.

As Greece's Minister of Culture and Science, Melina Mercouri's commitment for the return of the sculptures removed from the Acropolis in the 19th century continue to inspire all that also feel strongly and view this long-standing request as a just cause.

“I hope to see the marbles return to Athens before I die. But if they return later, I will be reborn to see them.” Melina Mercouri said, a phrase repeated by other women whose lifetime dedication to this cause continues. 

The reunification of the Parthenon Marbles campaign began at the UNESCO General Policy Conference in Mexico (1982) when Mercouri, then Minister of Culture and Science for Greece, put forward Greece's request for the return of the sculptures. And it is at UNESCO's ICPRCP meetings that this request continues to dominate.

On 29 September 2021, UNESCO ICPRCP Intergovernmental Committee, for the first time in its history, adopted by consensus Decision 22 COM 6, which is specifically dedicated to the Parthenon Marbles issue. The added value of that Decision is that for the first time the committee: "Recognized expressly the legitimate and rightful demand of Greece. Recognized that the case has an intergovernmental character and, therefore, the obligation to return the Parthenon Sculptures lies squarely on the UK Government and expressed its disappointment that its respective previous Recommendations have not been observed by the UK."

There is global support for the reunification, especially post the opening of the superlative Acropolis Museum, and yet there is no British political will to amend the museum's law that could see these sculptures returning to Athens. Of the 50% of the original sculptures that survive, about half are in the British Museum and half in the Acropolis Museum. There are a few fragments in a few museums: the Louvre in Paris, the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, and the Martin von Wagner Museum in the University of Würzburg.

The good and great news is that some fragments have been returned and that the campaign continues. Despite the lack of political will in the UK, there is plenty of public support and in fairness, that has been there for many decades.

Greece has also made repeated offers to provide the British Museum with Greek artefacts not seen outside of Greece, should the surviving Parthenon Marbles be reunited in the Acropolis Museum.

There are ongoing talks between PM Mitsotakis and the British Museum.

We continue to hope.

The news in Greece exploded last night as a result of the Times leading article 'Uniting Greece's Heritage'. The article called the case for reuniting the sculptures from the Parthenon, a compelling one. The top evening news bulletin in Athens on Wednesday 12 January 2022 was made by SkaiTV with Michael Binyon speaking for The Times and Professor Paul Cartledge for BCRPM.

To view this news bulletin, follow the link here.

Thanasis Gavos, the UK Correspondent for SkaiTV Greece, has sent us the Q & A  he reported on with Professor Cartledge:

Q: What is the significance of such an article in such a newspaper, which for many represented the views of the British establishment?

PC: To me it’s quite a surprise. The paper is one of our very oldest. It was founded in the 1780s, it has a circulation of about 400,000 per day and about 15 million per month. It is, as you says, a paper whose view are, shall we say, centre-right and they represent what one might call ‘the establishment’. So well-educated, university educated professional people typically who read it. And conventionally, my impression is, a lot of people with that background who read The Times actually favour the retention of the Marbles in the British Museum, for various reasons, partly legal, partly cultural. They don’t think they should go back. But, this second leader in The Times suggests to me that it is reflecting a groundswell of opinion, a real change, we might even say a sea change, in opinions.

And I think what started it really was the French claiming that they must now deal with the damage done by colonialism, by restoring the various French African territories’ artefacts. That of course brought into question the Benin Bronzes in Nigeria, which the British stole, no question about that. The Elgin question, the Marbles of the Parthenon, is a much more complicated issue, both legally and historically. Which is why the shift in opinion of The Times to me is both a surprise and a very welcome surprise.

Q: We can also read they accept the main moral argument, who many might say is THE main argument, that the Parthenon Sculptures are part of an artistic whole, therefore a unique case. Could we say now that this argument has been really well-establish in the British public opinion?

PC: I sincerely hope so. You  put your finger on the most important point from our - that is the British Committee and the international Associations - point of view, which is that the Parthenon is a unique structure. The Greek government is not even asking for the return of the very famous Caryatid column from the Erechtheion. It’s a mistake to think that the Greek government want everything that Elgin took to be returned to Athens. The campaign is specifically for the Parthenon Marbles  because as you say, of it’s unique status: still remaining on the Acropolis, of course in a ruined state, in visible sight of the New Acropolis Museum with its dedicated gallery aligned with the Parthenon and properly, we think, historically, scientifically properly displayed.

So we were very very happy that this leader, though wrongly used the phrase ‘Elgin marbles’ which is too broad, nevertheless put its finger on that key unique point - which of course therefore means that this particular case has no necessary implications for any other artefacts in the British Museum.

Q: Pressure is building, but how hopeful are you that at some point we will see the restitution of the Sculptures?

PC: I am hopeful but only in the longer term, for two reasons. One, we have not yet identified anyone in the current parliament or government who would be willing to stand up and campaign and propose the reunification. Secondly, the British government, like in Cyprus, like in Greece, has other more immediately pressing issues to face. When you make a parliamentary campaign to propose a measure, it takes an awful lot of time, and time is money. Therefore, you have to prioritise, and at the moment the Covid situation is so bad in this country that we still have no doubt a long way to go before the government can turn its mind to anything other than that, such as the Parthenon Marbles issue.

Thanasis Gavos, UK correspondent for SkaiTV Greece, with his story following on from The Times lead leader article published that morning, supportng the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.  

SkaiTV Greece, speaking with Michael Binyon of The Times

Dame Janet Suzman talks to Georgia Economou of NEWS 24/7: "The Parthenon sculptures belong to the country that "gave birth" to them, not to a cold museum in England."

Dame Janet Suzman, Chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM) and an internationally renowned actress talks to the Magazine about the Parthenon Sculptures and their long-suffering plight, plus the campaign to reunite them in the country that "gave birth" to them, their country of origin.

The Parthenon sculptures continue to make headlines in news outlets all over the world, not least in Greece. One could say that Lord Elgin's bribes and the men he paid to  detach these sculptures from the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis, and their subsequent exhibition at the British Museum constitutes to a great cultural wound. Their return, is a great dream that is constantly being dashed even today when the world shows that it is moving forward, and that museum policies are changing, but also that the basic issues of national cultural heritage have now been resolved.

On 16 December,  it was announced, with the "blessing" of Pope Francis, that three fragments, sculptural decorations from the Parthenon, housed in the Vatican museums would be repatriated, "as a testimony and a sign of the desire to continue the ecumenical course of truth."

About a month ago, once again we experienced hope for the sculptures return to Greece. Many expectations were raised in a large part to the announcement made by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis when he visited London, when he also met with King Charles (and not with the new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak).

THE ELGIN MARBLES AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM (PHOTO: MARKOS CHOUZOURIS / EUROKINISSI)

We learned of secret meetings between the Prime Minister himself and the Director of the British Museum, George Osborne, while newspaper headlines claimed that we were closer than ever to a repatriation agreement. However, everyone's hopes were yet again dashed when Rishi Sunak's official spokesman made it clear that the British Museum is legally prohibited from dismantling its huge collection and that the British government is not considering amending or changing the museum's law.

It was certain that this would happen. That is why a few days ago we spoke with 4 leading researchers about how feasible a repatriation in the true meaning of the term was possible and not a "repatriation" using the model of the Stern collection.

After the publication of this article, we were contacted by the long established British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, as we had made a distinction  between the "British Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures" to which Matthew Taylor belongs. The latter on November 18, in an article published in "The Scotsman" wrote: "Solution for the "Elgins"? How the American multimillionaire Stern created a model for the reunification of the Parthenon sculptures in Athens". In this article he expressed the opinion that "previous negotiations are stuck for the time being on the issue of property. But what if the British Museum recognised ownership of the works in Greece, while retaining the rights to exhibit them for the time being? Surely this could be a big step forward?"

The BCRPM recently referred to a New York Times report and to the statements of Gary Vikan, former director of the Baltimore Museum, who said: "If someone tells me that by sending the "Elgin Marbles" back to Greece, somehow the British Museum will be emptied, it is nonsense."

Janet Suzman AP

We spoke to the Chair of the British Committee and great actress, Dame Janet Suzman, and asked her questions about the reunification of the Marbles. She claims that the reunification of the Marbles is far from clear: "The road remains long and very unclear. We all need to have patience as diplomacy slowly moves towards a solution we hope for," she tells the Magazine.

What made you want to support the case of the Parthenon Sculptures? What does this "struggle" mean to you?

I was born in South Africa and so early on I was "introduced" to the blatant injustice committed by the strongest elements against a weaker opponent. I am talking about apartheid, of course. We who have lived in a police state know these things very well. In the 18th century, Britain was an extremely powerful country, and it took what it could - because it could - from many parts of the world.

As for the "Parthenon Marbles" that Lord Elgin took from Greece as Ambassador to Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empite - the truth is that no written permission to do so ever came to light. Then, as now, people are open to bribery. And so it happened then. The injustice is clear. These sculptures were part of the Parthenon edifice itself. They were forcibly cut off from the monument and removed from the country, and now it is a matter of pure dignity to return them.

To be honest, I hadn't dealt with Greece at all until I left South Africa to study theatre in the UK. With a group of young graduates from the Department of Fine Arts of my University, we flew on a fine day in 1959 from Johannesburg to Europe. I will never forget the morning when, after a long overnight flight, our plane landed in Athens. Back then there was not the current airport, but a much smaller one. We descended the steps of the plane and walking on the asphalt to enter the arrivals building, the strong sunlight made us blink for a moment.

A beautiful blue sky was above our heads. This clarity "stayed" with us every hour and minute of the 5 days we were in Greece before leaving for London. It was magical. We watched "The Phoenicians", a performance at the Herodes Atticus Theatre starring the great Katina Paxinou and it was unforgettable - it was the best introduction to the ancient classical plays one could wish for. Many years later I played Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy in a renowned production called The Greeks, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1980 at The Aldwych Theatre in London. I was already fascinated by the Ancient World when Melina (Mercouri) stormed my life a few years later.

I quickly understood that these inimitable sculptures belong to the country in which they were created, and not to a cold museum in England.

What are the memories you have of Melina Mercouri?

Melina can only be likened to a force of nature. Her strong presence swirled around us on this trip to the UK in the 80s, when she began the movement for the "liberation" of the Parthenon Sculptures from the "grey" display room in the British Museum. She was asking for their return to Greece, where they belong. Vanessa Redgrave, also known for her commitment to various political causes, supported this issue as I did. I quickly understood that these inimitable sculptures belong to the country in which they were created, and not to a cold museum in England.

Janet Suzman, Melina Mercouri and Vanessa Redgrave at the Greek Ambassador's Residence in London in the 80's. Shutterstock 361013921

What is the purpose of the British Committee of Sculptures and how important is its contribution?

The Parthenon Sculptures are made of stone. They need an advocate to talk about them, particularly in English. Eleni Cubitt founded this committee to do just that. I knew Eleni and she knew I was in complete agreement with this just cause. Much later, when she was in a nursing home in Islington, in October 2016, I was asked to chair the British Committee for their Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.

The cultural heritage of Greece has fully done its job in Britain: it has opened the gates of classical science to Europe. After so many years of struggle for the repatriation of these scuptures, they now belongs to where they came from and to the wonderful Acropolis Museum that was built to exhibit them as close as it is physically possible to the Parthenon, which still stands.

We are one of the many committees worldwide that want to see the Marbles reunited with their other halves. Being here in Britain, in the place where half of the surviving  Marbles are currently displayed, we can talk directly with the people holding the keys who will one day "unlock" their forced stay in the British Museum. And most importantly we can continue to feed this "flame" with information on our site, write letters and articles in British newspapers and try to make as much noise as possible, while following the policies of the Greek government itself.

What should be Greece's main argument in order to return the Sculptures to their place?

The cultural heritage of Greece has fully done its work in Britain: that is, it has opened the gates of classical scholarship to Europe. After so many years of struggle for their repatriation, she now belongs to where she came from and to the wonderful Acropolis Museum that was built for this purpose.

BCRPM image

Has the Greek government approached you?

Our Committee is in regular contact with the Greek Embassy in London, with the management of the New Acropolis Museum and of course with the Ministry of Culture in Athens.

Was the committee aware of the secret talks between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the British Museum?

They wouldn't be secret if we knew about them.

Recently, solutions have been proposed, such as the exchange of antiquities or the recognition of ownership with an exhibition of the sculptures in London. Do you think it might be one of the avenues to negotiate with the British Museum?

These potential exchanges are long-standing as proposals for the emergence of a 'give and take' agreement. The concept of ownership is separate as a matter and of course the most sensitive, yet to be negotiated.

 BCRPM image

Pope Francis has decided that the Vatican Museums will return three fragments of the Parthenon to Greece, amid a global account in which Western institutions have begun to return objects to their countries of origin. At the same time, we read in many articles that the Marbles belong to the "world" and therefore should be left where "everyone" can enjoy them. What do you think?

The British Museum has a unique collection of global artefacts. It has over 100,000 Greek artefacts. It is the ideal place to study "visually" the cultures of the whole world. However, fashion and opinions are changing...

The return of the Benin Bronzes recently from the Horniman Museum and the University of Cambridge, the fragments of the Parthenon returning to Greece from the Vatican, but also the rethinking of repatriations from other major institutions in the UK and Europe, mark a change of attitude and respect for other cultures. This is something that is to be warmly welcomed.

People are moving forward in Italy and I hope that the British Museum will follow this path.

I would also add that with Mrs. Cubitt, the Honorary Secretary of the BCRPM, we were in contact with the Vatican Museum even before the Acropolis Museum opened. They, too, were surprised that in the UK there was a Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles! At that time their own laws prevented an unconditional return, and therefore they loaned to the Acropolis Museum a fragment of about 20 centimeters. It comes from the northern frieze of the Parthenon and depicts the head of a young man carrying offerings in the Panathenaic procession. In 2008 our committee had contacted the then director of the Vatican Museums, Francesco Buranelli, who at the time spoke of the generosity of the spirit in the reunification of the fragmented marbles.

In 2016 Pope Francis appointed the first female Director of the Vatican Museum (Barbara Jatta, an Italian art historian) and now, in 2022, he has made this great donation to His Beatitude Jerome II, not only with one fragment, but with three. In other words, he did the right thing. People are moving forward in Italy and I hope that the British Museum will follow this path also.

How optimistic are you about the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles?

I am and have always been optimistic. The pressure is rising, the tide is turning, exciting exchanges I am sure will take place and modern technologies will certainly play an important role. All museums have to deal with the changes brought about by history (e.g. the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands and the Louvre) and some need, as we see, more time to find a way to respond while maintaining their glamour at the same time. And laws may need to be revised.

To read the original ariticle in Greek online, follow the link here.

From the Times'  Leading articles on page 27,  12 January 2022

To read the article on line, please visit the link here.

Tweet by Sarah Baxter, former deputy editor of the Sunday Times, who spoke alongside Janet Suzman and Paul Cartledge in Athens for the conference held at the Acropolis Museum on the 15th of April 2019: 

To the comment piece by Richard Morrison, chief culture writer for The Times on 11 January, 2022 and subsequent letter from BCRPM's Professor Paul Cartledge and Janet Suzman, on page 26, the Letters Page,12 January 2022.