British Museum’s Parthenon gallery 10-month closure prompts concerns from Greek officials and campaigners

Βy Yannis Andritsopoulos, London Correspondent for the Greek daily newspaper Ta Nea, 09 October 2021 

To read the original article, follow the link here.

Six of the British Museum’s Greek galleries, including the museum’s display of the Parthenon Marbles, have been closed for almost ten months, prompting concerns from Greek officials and campaigners that wet and damp could damage the ancient artworks.

The museum was forced to close on 16 December 2020 when a national Covid-19 lockdown was put in place. It reopened on 17 May 2021, but some of its Greek galleries remained closed due to ‘essential repairs’.

Ta Nea Greek daily newspaper visited the museum last week and confirmed that a total of six galleries of Greek art have yet to reopen; Rooms 15, 16, 17 and 18 are closed due to "maintenance"; Rooms 19 and 20 are closed to "comply with social distancing measures".

The Duveen Gallery (Room 18) which houses the Parthenon Sculptures, has been closed since December 2020.

Its leaky roof has made news many times before.

In December 2018, the glass roof of Room 18 began leaking after heavy rainfall in London. Witnesses reported seeing water dripping just centimetres away from the west pediment figure of Iris. More recently, leaks were caused by a heavy rainfall on July 25th that flooded central London.

The Greek government as well as campaigners for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles have expressed concern about the poor state of the rooms.

On August 15, the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures (IARPS), which represents 21 national committees around the world, wrote to the British Museum Chairman Sir Richard Lambert, its Director Dr. Hartwig Fischer and its Trustees. To read the letter, follow the link here.

A copy of the letter was also sent to Prime Minister Johnson, the newly appointed Chair of the Trustees, George Osborne and the then Secretary of Culture, Oliver Dowden.

It said that “the planned reopening of the Greek rooms, postponed ‘until further notice’, after months of lockdown, is a deep worry,” adding that the “possible humidity problem (creates) a dangerous condition for the sculptures”.

It also called on the Museum to "reconsider its viewpoint on the continued division of the Parthenon Sculptures", noting that “there is a moral obligation to return and to reunify all the surviving Parthenon Sculptures in the Acropolis Museum with a direct visual contact to the Parthenon”.

"It is saddening that Room 18 has been closed ‘until further notice’," IARPS President Dr Christiane Tytgat told Ta Nea, adding that "the inappropriate climate conditions in the room are upsetting".

"I hope," she said, " that we do not have to wait another 22 years before we can admire the Parthenon Sculptures on display in London again, as it happened before, when the Duveen Gallery was hit by a bomb in 1940 and reopened only in 1962! Even if the Sculptures were then stored in a safe place and undamaged."

Almost two months later, the Museum has not responded to the letter, which Dr. Tytgat described as "sad."

Dame Janet Suzman, Chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM), told Ta Nea: “I would be a happy person if Room 18 were permanently closed because those spectacular sculptures taken by the marauding Lord Elgin deserve to be reunited in the Acropolis Museum. No one can say for certain what remedial work is being done in the Greek galleries of the British Museum or for how long. The lack of climate controls in an old building are self-evident and has been questioned by BCRPM on other occasions: blow-heaters in winter, open exit doors in summer, leaking roof during the rainy season.”

“We urge the British Museum to stop repeating by rote the same mantra and to reunite those emblematic marble figures in the superlative Acropolis Museum, which has been built to the latest standards and allows visitors to view them in context with the Parthenon,” she added.

Professor Paul Cartledge, Vice-Chair of the BCRPM and Vice-President of the IARPS, told Ta Nea that he has found “the Trustees' failure to respond at all to the letter deeply disappointing - not at all the way to begin dialogueon this pressing cultural issue in a way fitting of its importance. Dismissing this very specific request is tantamount to not understanding the importance of cultural diplomacy. Time for the British Museum and the UK to join the 21st century, although it would have been good and great if they were to lead the way.”

Closed ‘until further notice’.

The website of the British Museum states that the Greek galleries are "closed until further notice", due to "regular maintenance works".

UNESCO recently expressed “concern that the Duveen Gallery of the British Museum is not currently open to the public due to essential repairs”, adding that it “looks forward to its reopening in due course.”

In his interview with Ta Nea, in January 2019, the director of the Museum, Dr. Hartwig Fischer, claimed that there was "a tiny leak" (in Room 18’s roof) which was “fixed right away ".

Lina Mendoni, Greece’s Culture minister has said that the conditions for exhibiting the Parthenon Sculptures at the British Museum “are not only inappropriate, but also dangerous”.

A British Museum spokesperson told Ta Nea that “there has previously been some water ingress in some gallery spaces closure”, adding that “there is no confirmed date for their reopening, but we are working towards later this autumn.”

The British Museum’s comment to Ta Nea in full:

“The Museum is an historic and listed building and there are ongoing infrastructure assessments across the site. We have a team of specialists who make regular checks across the Museum to monitor and ensure appropriate management of risks to the collection. The care of the collection and the safety of our visitors and staff are our utmost priority.

“The essential works being undertaken are part of a programme of building maintenance and conservation which will help enable future works on the Museum estate. Alongside these essential repairs, we are developing a strategic masterplan to transform the British Museum for the future. It will involve actively renovating our historic buildings and estate, improving our visitor experience and undertaking an ambitious redisplay of the collection in the years to come.

“Galleries 14 to 18 on the ground floor have been temporarily removed from the public access route. The Museum has undertaken a programme of work within these galleries and the scheduling of this work was delayed due to the impact of the pandemic on the Museum’s programme.

“Further works and surveys were undertaken this summer and these galleries are currently closed to ensure the safety of our visitors and the collection whilst these surveys are carried out. There has previously been some water ingress in some gallery spaces closure.

“There is no confirmed date for their reopening, but we are working towards later this autumn.”

Images below showing the closed door that has been temporaily erected across the entrance of Room 23 of the British Museu's Greek galleries. With a notice explaining that Rooms 12-18 are closed. Some of the galleries are closed for social distancing purposes with others closed for maintenance.

Photo credit: Yannis Andritsopoulos, London Correspondent for the Greek daily newspaper Ta Nea, 09.10.2010 

Dr Tom Flynn's tweet below echoes the thoughts of many millions across the globe that support the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles:

On 13 June 2018, Vice-Chair of BCRPM, Professor Paul Cartledge wrote in the Frieze. It was at that time that the then leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn had also announced his support for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles in Greek newspaper, Ta Nea.

Paul Cartledge writes: 'The 5th-century BC artefacts were brought to London by Lord Elgin at the beginning of the 19th century, having apparently secured permission from the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, which occupied Greece at that time. They have been housed at the British Museum from 1816, and the Greek government has regularly lobbied for their return. Corbyn told the Greek paper: ‘As with anything stolen or taken from occupied or colonial possession – including artefacts looted from other countries in the past – we should be engaged in constructive talks with the Greek government about returning the sculptures.’ To read the full article in Frieze, follow the link here.

Support from Labour MP's saw two prominent Ministers at the heart of BCRPM's capaigns in the 90's and beyond, namely Christopher Price and Eddie O'Hara, respectively Vice-Chair and Chair of this committee. Support has always been there yet Tony Blair's government didn't do anything and tragically, there was no support from Gordon Brown.

Jeremy Corbyn was and continues to be supportive. And what of Sir Kier Starmer? 

Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens spoke about the sculptures alongside a panel hosted by the BBC on Politics Live. This was  post Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis' London visit and meeting with UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

Labour MP for Hornsey & Wood Green and Shadow Foreign Minister (Europe & Americas), Catherine West also interviewed by Ta Nea on Thursday 02 December, was quoted as urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to bring the matter of these sculptures to the House Commons. Catherine West feels that all MP's deserve to know the full story and have an open discussion.  

In today's Ta Nea, UK Correspondent Yannis Andritsopoulos has once again interviewed Jeremy Corbyn, a firm supporter for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles. Jeremy Corbyn hopes that Labour leader, Keir Starmer will also add his support.

“My position has always been that the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece." Despite being a 'wonderful, beautiful' collection of sculptures, Jeremy Corbyn insists that the Parthenon Marbles do not belong in the British Museum and he hopes that the Labour Party will decide to defend this view.

“Boris Johnson may well be a classicist. He may well love Greece. I love Greece too." Adds Corbyn, and goes on to say that this love of Greece is not the justifucation for keeping the sculptures divided. He continues: "Let's be grown up about this.The idea that it's okay to forcibly remove things is wrong. Cultural artefacts are there for all, but they really belong in the place that they were made and developed in the first place.”

Chair of BCRPM, Janet Suzman stands by the release issued in 2018 where she concludes: “Nothing will change in relation to the Parthenon marbles until and unless there is a meeting of minds at head of state level between Greece and Britain.” A sentiment that also formed the Decision made at the 22nd session of UNESCO's ICPRCP meeting 27-29 September 2021. 

RECOMMENDATION 22.COM 6

The Committee,

Recalling that the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures has been a pending item in the Committee’s Agenda since 1984,

Acknowledging relevant UNESCO recommendations expressing its continuing concern for a solution to the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures,Recalling that the Acropolis of Athens is an emblematic monument of outstanding universal value, inscribed in the World Heritage List,

1.Acknowledges the ongoing cooperation between Greece and the United Kingdom on cultural matters and expressesthe wish that it should continue with a view to conclude the ongoing discussions in respect of the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures;

2.Notesthat Greece invites the United Kingdom to collaborate with Greece in exhibiting all the Parthenon Sculptures in their respective collections in the Acropolis Museum;

3.Takes noteof the Acropolis Museum’s invitation to the British Museum in order to advance further collaboration on Parthenon studies; which the British Museum warmly accepted;

4.Also takes noteof the good progress made by the Acropolis Museum and the British Museum in the collaborative programme of digital scanning of the sculptures of the Parthenon in both museums;

5.Further acknowledges that an official letter was sent in August 2013 by UNESCO to the United Kingdom government and the British Museum, inviting them to explore the possibility of the United Kingdom agreeing to the procedure foreseen in the Rules of Procedure for Mediation and Conciliation within the framework of the ICPRCP;

6.Thoughtfully takes note of the fact that, in March 2015, the United Kingdom government and the Trustees of the British Museum informed UNESCO in separate letters respectively that they did not believe that the application of the mediation procedure would substantially carry forward the debate and that they had decided respectfully to decline the request;

7.Thoughtfully takes note that, following the Committee’s Recommendation 21.COM 7, Greece sent to the United Kingdom an invitation to a bilateral expert meeting in Athens which was not accepted by the United Kingdom;

8.Expresses concern that the Duveen Gallery of the British Museum is not currently open to the public, due to essential repairs and looks forward to its reopening in due course;

9.Calls upon Greece and the United Kingdom to intensify their efforts with a view to reaching a satisfactory settlement of this long-standing issue, taking into account its historical, cultural, legal and ethical dimension;

10.Invites the Director-General to assist in convening the necessary meetings between Greece and the United Kingdom with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures.

DECISION 22.COM 61

The Committee,

1.Recalling Article 4, paragraphs 1 and 2 of its Statutes,

2.Noting that the request for the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures is inscribed in its Agenda since 1984,

3.Recalling its 16 Recommendations on the matter,

4.Recalling further that the Parthenon is an emblematic monument of outstanding universal value inscribed on the World Heritage List,

5.Aware of the legitimate and rightful demand of Greece,

6.Acknowledging that Greece requested the United Kingdom in 2013 to enter into mediation in accordance to the UNESCO Rules of Procedure for Mediation and Conciliation,

7.Recognizing that the case has an intergovernmental character and, therefore, the obligation to return the Parthenon Sculptures lies squarely on the United Kingdom Government,

8.Expresses its deep concern that the issue still remains pending;

9.Expresses further, its disappointment that its respective recommendations have not been observed by the United Kingdom;

10.Expresses its strong conviction that States involved with return or restitution cases brought before the ICPRCP should make use of the UNESCO Mediation and Conciliation Procedures with a view to their resolution;

11.Calls on the United Kingdom to reconsider its standand proceed to a bona fide dialogue with Greece on the matter

The presentation by Greece at UNESCO's ICPRCP 22nd Session took place on Wednesday the 28th of September 2021. Greece was represented by the Ministry of Culture by the Secretary General of Culture George Didaskalou, the new General Director of the Acropolis Museum Nikolaos Stampolidis, the Head of the Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Heritage, and Legal Adviser of the Special Legal Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Artemis Papathanassiou (all pictured above). For the first time, apart from the recommendation, a decision with stronger wording was also agreed.

Congratulations to Mrs Vardinoyannis for her comprehensive article on the overall issue of the divided sculptures from the Parthenon and for her contribution to this noble cause. Among other things, her article published in VIMAGAZINO and other outlets, highlights the importance of the recent ICPRCP Committee’s emblematic Decision which recognized for the first time the intergovernmental character of the difference over the Parthenon Sculptures and its adoption, is due to the hard work of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Greek Culture Ministry.

“JUST A LITTLE MORE, LET US RISE JUST A LITTLE HIGHER”

article by Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

Published in VIMAGAZINO, January 2022

“All the electric lights won’t stop them from constantly seeking the sweet light of Homer,” renowned French sculptor Auguste Rodin said to Angelos Sikelianos upon seeing the Sculptures “imprisoned” in a dark hall of the British Museum. And he was absolutely right.

Greece is the homeland of the Parthenon Sculptures, Athens is their birthplace, and Greek light is the only light that can bring out their greatness. Only bathed in Greek light can these wonderful creations of human civilization, and, of course, only intact in their entirety, shine and transmit throughout the world the fundamental universal human principles and values of Democracy, Equality Before Law, and Freedom of Speech, just as our ancestors envisioned them.

It has been 221 years since the Greek Sculptures were taken from the hill of the Acropolis. From 1801 and for about a decade, Lord Elgin forcibly removed the Sculptures, even using saws, in order to transport them to the Great Britain. The Sculptures were purchased by the British Museum a few years later.

During these two centuries, the dismemberment of this global monument-symbol remains an open wound, a deep wound, a pressing debt, and a pending moral issue, not towards our country and Greek civilization, but towards our global civilization as a whole.

These Sculptures are not isolated works, but “architectural sculptures”, the decoration of an indivisible whole, a unique architectural work of global history: the Parthenon. A creation that has dominated the Sacred Rock for 2,500 years, looking out onto the Athenian landscape, and challenging historical time, wining the wager of eternity against natural disasters, wars, and geographical and political changes. Despite being manmade, it survived through centuries of human history, remaining the most powerful symbol of Athenian democracy, the first democracy in the history of our societies. A symbol for the entire Western world.

This unique power and the very substance of the monument show us the path we must follow: the path of Dialogue.

About 40 years ago, my dear friend, the late and one and only Melina Mercouri, began a courageous effort as Minister of Culture, opening an international dialogue and raising the issue at the UNESCO Forum of Ministers of Culture in Mexico, with the Forum ruling in favour of the return of the Sculptures to Greece. Melina realised very early on that the path to the return of the Sculptures could only be opened through the creation of international alliances and the launching of an international dialogue based on our country’s just arguments.

From the outset, I had the great honour of being at her side, a companion to her at every step of this “beautiful struggle”, utilising the “weapon” of cultural diplomacy at all my international meetings. And from the moment I had the honour of being elected as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, the return of the Sculptures has always remained the focus of my activity. I was one of the last people she spoke to before she passed away. “Marianna, I want you to promise me that you will continue to fight for the return of our Sculptures. When they return, I will be reborn,” were her last words to me. And these words never ceased to be in my thoughts and priorities.

I feel that it was not just I who kept this promise, but the entire Greek people. Every Greek woman and man, every one of us who, throughout these years, never, not even for a moment, stopped envisioning this dream becoming a reality. Every smaller or larger effort, on a national or international level, by the State, Civil Society, institutions and agencies, international committees in many countries, and international organisations, contributed to the significant shift in the climate surrounding the matter recently.

I remember when we held the exhibition titled ‘The unity of a unique monument: Parthenon’, together with Jules Dassin and the ‘Melina Mercouri Foundation’ at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris in 2003, the first voices of support for our country were heard, albeit timidly, within the international organisation, while another great success was the attendance of the UK Ambassador! That is when, through great struggle, we started to acquire important allies, such as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Jean Michel Jarre, who, at two concerts at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus organised by our Foundation and the ‘Association of Friends of Children with Cancer ELPIDA’, turned the interest of the global community towards Greece, composing the ‘Hymn to the Acropolis’ and performing it for the first time anywhere at the Holy Rock of Athens.

At the same time, in collaboration with leading international figures in the Arts and Culture who joined in the Heroes struggle for the return of the Sculptures, our Foundation launched major initiatives such as conferences, publications, colloquiums, and our international ‘Return (the Parthenon Sculptures) – Restore (Unity)– Restart (History)’ campaign, in collaboration with the Melina Mercouri Foundation.

Since Melina Mercouri began this struggle, the State has taken important steps on a diplomatic and legal level, while at the same time Greece’s voice in international fora is gaining traction.

The courageous Resolution of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committeeon the promotion of the return of cultural goods to their countries of origin or their restitution in the event of illegal appropriation (ICPRCP) in September 2021, which for the first time recognises the issue of the return of Sculptures as an intergovernmental issue, and not an issue between the two Museums, was the culmination years of systematic efforts. It is also noteworthy that the Resolution calls on the United Kingdom to reconsider its stance and enter into good-faith dialogue with Greece, while also recognising our country’s just request.

The ICPRCP is the only competent UNESCO Committee on matters of negotiation, mediation, and conciliation on international cultural disputes between states and it meets every two years, with the next Meeting scheduled for May 2022. Although this Resolution is not legally binding, it is particularly important that it was reached by the ICPRCP, which is the only international Intergovernmental Commission in the framework of UNESCO – in other words, within the UN – and is a strong international message that the British side cannot ignore.

In 2021, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis – in addition to his bilateral meeting with the British Prime Minister – visited UNESCO headquarters in Paris twice, drawing on the strength of the International Organisation and cultural diplomacy. In September 2021, he raised the issue with UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, in the context of their meeting, and a few months later, in November 2021, in the context of UNESCO’s 75-year celebrations, Kyriakos Mitsotakis talked about the return of the Sculptures before 192 Heads of State and their representatives.

During these visits, at which I had the honour of being present, and through discussions with Heads of State and world figures of culture, it became clear that there had been a shift in the climate in favour of our country’s just request.

This was also apparent at the recent ‘Greece and Cultural Heritage’ Symposium, which our Foundation hosted at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris on the margins of the 41st General Conference of the Organisation. During the Symposium, which was held in the context of ‘Initiative 21’ and was attended live by representatives of the 193 UNESCO member states, there were many important voices that spoke of the need for the Sculptures to return to Greece, including Her Excellency the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, as well as the internationally renowned Professor of History at University of Cambridge, Paul Cartledge.

Paying close attention to the developments on the international cultural scene, allows one to observe that this shift does not concern Greece alone. The past two years have seen intense international movement on the issue of the return of stolen cultural treasures to their countries of origin. These are mainly treasures exported illegally during the years when colonialism flourished, from countries with a pronounced colonial past, which today have launched a systematic effort to ‘balance the books’ with regards to past illegal possession of their national cultural treasures.

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed the former President of the Louvre Museum, Jean-Luc Martinez, as the competent Ambassador for international cooperation and setting the criteria for the return of cultural treasures to their countries of origin. Germany has signed an agreement with Nigeriaon the gradual return of cultural goods, while countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria have made similar agreements.

The climate with regard to cultural heritage monuments is clearly changing, leading many Museums to change their stance and return national cultural treasures to their countries of origin. Obviously, this climate favours the cause of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures.

The return of the famous ‘Fagan fragment’ from the Antonino Salinas Museum in Palermo to the Acropolis Museum on 10 January 2022, through the process of “long-term deposit”, shows the way and is an important weapon on the Greek side of the argument.

This year, for the first time, the Venice Biennale, Europe’s leading cultural event, which will open its doors in the spring, intends to organise a photography exhibition dedicated to the Acropolis and its Museum. The exhibition will be based on the iconic black and white photographs of emblematic photographer Giannis Giannelos, which form the basis of the exceptional collectible publication of our Foundation, ‘Acropolis, the New Museum’, published by ‘Miletus’. Browsing through this book, which moved the people responsible at Biennale so much that they asked us to hold a separate and autonomous exhibition, one realises that this is the natural space of the Sculptures: under sky of Attica, bathed in Greek light.

All of us must continue the struggle. History has shown that each smaller or greater contribution, every effort has played a role in moving things a little further along, making international public opinion understand that these Sculptures are not just exhibits in a museum. The Sculptures are Greece, they are our national pride, on them is carved our history, and they form part of one of the largest monuments of humanity.

“A little longer
And we shall see the almond trees in blossom
The marbles shining in the sun
The sea, the curling waves
Just a little more
Let us rise just a little higher...”

Let the words of George Seferis, with the music of the great Greek, and my beloved friend, the late Mikis Theodorakis, be our compass, our beacon, and our strength in our “just and beautiful struggle.”

Marianna V. Vardinoyannis, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

Ioanna Kleftogianni in To Vima reflects on the thefts at the British Museum and speaks to Professor Paul Cartledge, Vice-Chair about the crisis in Bloomsbury, plus takes a statement from Janet Suzman, Chair of BCRPM.

The Vice-Chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles says the Greek government "behaved absolutely right"by not linking the thefts "to its long-standing and perfectly legitimate demand for reunification".

Game changer. The timeless argument that "the Parthenon Sculptures are safer in the British Museum" is hotly contested, if not destroyed after the recent revelations, which fell like a bolt of lightning from the sky about the unknown number of lost antiquities that have been "stolen, destroyed or missing" from the British Musem's storerooms.

Two weeks after the British Museum's theft scandal was disclosed, there is still concern about the refusal to publish (as is customary in such cases), the list of the stolen artefacts, which allegedly also includes Greek antiquities.

Now the question is one: the theft of valuable objects from the British Museum and their sale via eBay, despite warnings since at least 2021, and does this upgrade Greece's claims?

The British press speaks of "systemic failures" in the British Museum, shocked by the other revelation of the days about the lack of listings for all objects held by the Museum.

The revelations caused global outrage and a domino effect of resignations (first the director Hartwig Fischer and then deputy director Jonathan Williams), following the earlier dismissal of the head of Greek collections, Peter Higgs. But do these dismissals and resignations reinforce the long-standing demand for the repatriation of the Marbles?

The quality of the exhibition in the Duveen Gallery and its physical condition are, admittedly, a cause for concern

It can proceed on a completely new basis, with a happy end for the Greek side – namely, the Parthenon Sculptures fully reunited, within the Acropolis Museum – the debate that began last autumn on this issue, between the Chair of the British Museum and former economy minister, George Osborne, the Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and the then minister of state and now foreign affairs, George Gerapetritis.

Questions posed by "To Vima" to the Chair of the British Committee for the Repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM), Dame Janet Suzman, and to the Vice-Chair,  one of the longest-serving members of the Committee, Professor Paul Cartledge.

The award-winning Shakespearean actress-legend says she is outraged: "The time has finally come for the British Museum to return the Greek masterpieces that were stolen. Patience is running out."

The leading modern Hellenist argues, modestly, that the theft scandal and the Greek request are two completely unrelated issues, hence, he adds, the Greek government "behaved absolutely correctly" by not linking the thefts "to its long-standing and absolutely legitimate request for the reunification of the Marbles", stressing that "no Parthenon Marble is ever in danger of being stolen and put up for sale on eBay".

And this despite the "very seriousness" of this recent scandal, which, as the former holder of the A.G. Leventis Chair at Cambridge University points out, raises for him "a series of anguished thoughts and questions":

"First of all, it turns the spotlight on the Museum, when it already answers or rather rejects other uncomfortable questions. Second, it raises questions about how quickly it discovered the thefts and reported them to the police. Moreover, it calls into question the role of the director, trustees and department heads – not just the then curators of the Greek and Roman Department. It reveals to the uninformed public the extent to which the vast majority of what the Museum holds has never seen the light of day. At the same time, it creates an air of suspicion throughout the institution, while violating and abusing public trust. And finally, it has damaged the very concept of the museum, especially that of the ecumenical museum."

Q: The Welsh, Mr Cartledge, are already demanding their own antiquities. Do you believe that the Greek government's request for the return of the Parthenon Marbles is now being put on a new footing? Has the claim that the Parthenon Sculptures are safe in the British Museum been debunked?

"Nope. The reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures and the theft of other objects from the collection of the British Museum are two completely separate questions and issues. The first is a moral, diplomatic, aesthetic, cultural issue. The second is a technical, managerial issue that the Museum must solve on its own. I am sure that no Parthenon Sculpture is in danger of ever being stolen by the British Museum and put up for sale on eBay. The quality of the exhibition in the Duveen Gallery and its physical condition are, admittedly, cause for concern, but this is a separate issue. Hence the Greek government behaved absolutely correctly by not making public comment on the thefts and therefore not linking its long-standing and perfectly legitimate demand for the Reunification of the Marbles – as some Greek media unfortunately did – with the recent theft case."

Q: The revelations about the theft were first made internally at the museum in 2021, while President Osborne was in discussions with the Greek prime minister. The British side made it public that there was talk of the possibility of a 10-year loan to Greece, a solution allegedly promoted by Mr. Osborne. Doesn't the scenario of the loan, which Mr. Osborne suggests, presuppose the acceptance that the sculptures are British-owned, which the Greek side does not recognize?

"There is indeed a contradiction. A rumour arose that there was talk of a 10-year loan, but it was officially denied by the Greek side that any kind of loan could ever be considered acceptable. And that certainly makes sense. A loan, legally speaking, implies acceptance of the ownership claim, which is exactly what the British side is claiming. But this claim, as international human rights lawyer Professor Catherine Titi very recently demonstrated once again, has absolutely no basis in international cultural property law, only in British domestic law, and is a claim that neither the Greek government nor the international community (UNESCO) recognizes.

Q: British law prohibits the British Museum from donating its exhibits other than Nazi loot and human remains. So, does the return of the Marbles to Greece require the adoption of a special law by Parliament?

"Yes. The British Museum is governed by the Museums Act 1963, which prohibits deaccession. And, yes, the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles would require both the change or withdrawal of the 1963 Act and, probably, the modification or repeal of the original 1816 Act of Parliament, according to which the then British government bought the Elgin Marbles, including the Parthenon Marbles, stolen by the former UK ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Lord Elgin".

The Greek government should continue to exert diplomatic pressure aimed at encouraging the curators of the British Museum to persuade the British government to pass the necessary legislation

Obviously, the British Parliament would not withdraw a law in favour of Greek claims! I wonder if you would repeat today the view, expressed in 2022, that the Parthenon Sculptures will return to Greece "only when the UK will need a gesture against China or Turkey"...

"I meant that probably only in extreme circumstances would any British government, whether left or right or centrist, or an individual MP, put the issue of the reunification of the Marbles quite high on the parliamentary agenda, with probably MPs first and then the Lords voting in favour. As theoretical examples of such extreme conditions, I devised a situation in which the state of Greece would find itself threatened militarily or economically or culturally by active aggression, for example, by Turkey or China, so that the UK government and parliament wanted to make a huge gesture of solidarity.

You have argued that legal action, as has been seriously discussed in the past, is not a solution. Do you still share the view today?

"Based on past experience, this form of action has proven to be absolutely unsuccessful and counterproductive, because any 'legal' approach may appear to legitimise the UK government and the British Museum's claim to legal ownership of 'their own Marbles'. This only confuses and blurs the real issue, which is a moral one, not a question of legality."

So what can the Greek government do?

"It should continue to exert diplomatic pressure to encourage the Trustees of the British Museum to persuade the British government to pass the necessary legislation. Really,

Greece can do no more."

 To read the entire article, which was published on 04 September in To Vima, follow the link here. The article is in Greek.

Janet Suzman: "The time to reunite the Parthenon Marbles has arrived, patience is running out."

"The time has finally come to return the Greek masterpieces that were looted (...). Patience is running out," said Janet Suzman, Chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM) for six years, and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, and a Dame for her services to drama, who became known to younger generations by also appearing in the popular Netflix series "The Crown".

She bluntly calls "shameful" the stance taken on the issue of the return of the Parthenon Marbles by the recently resigned deputy director of the leading museum, Jonathan Williams, whom she disapproves for his proposal to "share" the sculptures with the Acropolis Museum.

"The scandalous revelations of mismanagement" Dame Janet Suzman hopes will shake the British Museum's view that it is "one of its kind". And it sums up that "priority must be given to respect for the cultural heritage of other nations".

"It is with relative relief that we read of the resignation of the deputy director of the British Museum, Jonathan Williams, precipitated by the revelation of the shocking thefts, and the uncatalogued treasures of the British Museum," Janet Suzman, Chair of of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles told To Vima.

UNITED

"At the last UNESCO meeting they were all united against Jonathan Williams categorical refusal never to return the Parthenon Marbles. Jonathan Williams’ attitude was embarrassing. 

He also said that the Marbles were collected by Elgin, from the ground, where they had already fallen. A blatant lie. Elgin caused catastrophic damage to the great building by sawing the sculptures to remove them from the Parthenon to which they belonged," adds the Chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Marbles.

And three months later Jonathan Williams proposed a "Parthenon Partnership" with the Acropolis Museum, and the "sharing" of the sculptures. Knowing full well that sharing cannot be accepted by Greece, to which these sculptures belong both culturally and historically," concludes Dame Janet Suzman.

"We can only hope," she continues, "that the scandalous revelations of mismanagement will shake the British Museum's view that it is supreme, one of its kind. The time has come to return the Greek masterpieces that were stolen, with bribes, by a shadowy privileged aristocrat. Priority must be given to respect for the cultural heritage of other nations. Patience is running out," she concludes.

The 14 texts which follow, each reflecting the writer’s viewpoint, are so rich and comprehensive that it is impossible for an introduction to fully encompass their essence. In most cases, the beginning, middle and end of the text refers to the barbaric act committed by Elgin.

I have therefore chosen not to repeat those well-known, well-rehearsed and well-discussed issues. Instead, I chose to contribute certain new arguments to the cause of returning and reunifying the marbles or sculptures of the Parthenon in the Acropolis Museum, which is their newly designated place of protection and display, a place that stands in close dialogue with the very monument from which those severed members originally came.

As a rich body of international bibliography on the subject makes clear, it is now obvious to all that the so-called firman which Thomas Bruce, the Earl of Elgin and ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1799-1803, is supposed to have procured from the Supreme Porte, in other words from Sultan Selim III, does not exist. If such a document had existed, it would have been submitted to the examining committee of the British House of Commons in 1816 – and the whole question of legality, and restitution claims by the Greek state, would have taken a different turn.

According to Elgin’s testimony to the committee, the original document sent by the Turkish authorities to Athens was lost. The Reverend Philip Hunt, the ambassador’s assistant, offered in testimony what he could recollect, 14 years later, of a translation of a French version of the original firman into Italian and later rendered into English.

However:

ONE

Official firmans of the sultan were always made in two copies, of which one was kept in the official archives and the other was sent to the designated recipient. In the course ofall the investigations made hitherto, the original, archived version of the firman has never been found.

TWO
Genuine firmans were despatched through a special designated messenger or an authorized individual or delivered by captains of the Turkish navy. In this case the so-called firman was brought to Athens by Philip Hunt, Elgin’s assistant.

THREE
For the actions that Elgin was seeking to undertake on the Acropolis, formal permission was indeed necessary because according to an unwritten Ottoman law, marble in all its forms – works of art, ancient or otherwise, and the raw material itself – belonged to the sultan. All the more so if marbles were to be removed from such a well preserved surviving decoration of a monument that was well respected by Ottoman officials as a “temple of the idols” – namely the Parthenon.

Thanks to the authentic firmans that were issued over the years for various purposes, we can ascertain what a genuine sultan’s firman looked like, what formalities it observed, what turns of phrase and calligraphy were used, and all its other features. I will not enumerate the hundreds of examples that might be mentioned. I will focus instead on two sultan’s firmans which are of immediate relevance, because they concern two protagonists of our story – Lord Elgin and Lord Byron. They are also, of course, close chronologically. The first is dated 1802 and was brought to light by Dyfri Williams. It is the official passport-firman granted to Elgin which authorized his trip to Athens and the Aegean archipelago. The second was granted to Byron in 1810 and is presented here for the first time, thanks to the generosity of a particular individual. It is the official travel document which was issued to Byron: its interpretation and presentation are the work of Ilias Kolovos, a scholar of Ottoman history.

When one compares these two original passport-firmans, they turn out to be very much alike in format, despite the fact that Sultan Selim III died in 1808 and was replaced on the throne by Mustafa IV. If we then compare those two documents – the one issued to Elgin and the one granted to Byron, which is available to us in Turkish (in Roman script) as well as English translation – with the so-called firman granted to Elgin which supposedly allowed him to remove sculptures from the Parthenon – at least according to the Italian translation, and its later English rendering. It becomes clear – as was demonstrated by the Ottomanist scholar Vasilis Dimitriadis at a conference on the Parthenon and its sculptures – that Elgin’s so-called permit is anything but a genuine sultan’s firman. He would have needed to get the personal authorization of the sultan, instead of merely relying – as he did - on the deputy to the Grand Vizier, Sejid Abdullah. That deputy was standing in because the actual Grand Vizier – Kor Yusuf Ziyauddin Pasha, otherwise known as Djezzar, (the butcher) – was at the time in Egypt.

Given that the so-called permit for the removal of the sculptures was not a genuine sultan’s act, but merely a decision issued by the deputy to the Grand Vizier – assuming that the Italian translation is real and accurate –how can anyone justify the still-adamant denial by the British authorities and the British Museum that what took place was an act of vandalism – indeed, a plundering of sculptures that were integral to the monument, constituent parts of the Parthenon? Or justify their refusal to return and reunify the marbles in the Acropolis Museum?

To put it more bluntly, how is it that certain officials – in the British Museum and elsewhere in Britain – still regard as acceptable a flawed purchase in 1816, and an arbitrary decision by Parliament in 1963, insofar as these relate to the ongoing captivity of the Parthenon marbles?

This is not the place to delve deep into the reasons for that insistence. Let me focus instead on some initiatives aimed at resolving the issue, in accordance with the realities of the 21st century. In addition to the strong and respectable arguments laid out by many people over two centuries – especially by Melina Mercouri in 1982-83 – all the way up to 2021, a number of developments stand out.

ONE
In September 2021, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property (ICPRCP) adopted a decision which clearly recognizes Greece’s aspirations as rational, justified and ethical. It also affirmed the intergovernmental nature of the dispute and called for consultations between Britain and Greece.

TWO
A particular methodology was followed in the return and reintegration of the so-called Fagan fragment from Palermo. This was the first return which was treated as a matter from State to State. Initially, in January 2022, the return was presented as an unspecified “deposit” – and then, in June 2022, came the permanent reintegration of the fragment into the Parthenon frieze: an act that was underpinned not merely by legal norms and technicalities but also by the friendship between two nations - Greece on one hand, Italy and in particular Sicily on the other – who share common values.

THREE
In March 2023, Pope Francis returned three fragments of the Parthenon, as an expression of universal truth, for the definitive reunification of the monument’s scattered sculptures.
The British government and the British Museum would do well to ponder the significance all these developments, while also considering certain other factors such as:

ONE
The consistent majority of British public opinion [in favour of return]

TWO
The continued support expressed by the near-entirety of the British press

THREE
International public opinion, which favours the reunification of this world-renowned monument…so that it can be properly presented in all its integrity as a work of supreme architectural and sculptural beauty; and experienced as a symbol of democracy by people of allgenerations and national origins.

And in case those arguments fail to persuade doubters of the moral soundness of Greece’s case, I will add yet another one.

Over the past few decades, there have been some well-known cases of restitution of art works – for example to Italy or to Africa. Such returns have even been made by Britain. Let me specify one example.

On August 1, 2008, the upper section of a funerary monument was returned to Greece from New York.

It was made of Pentelic marble and it dates from the late fifth century – about 410 BCE, shortly after the completion of the Parthenon. Μy Professor George Despinis, as early as 1993, had proven that the piece came from a funerary monument whose lower half had been discovered in the soil of Attica – in Porto Rafti – and was then conserved in the Museum of Βrauron in Attica.

After some negotiations, the purchasers of the upper part – who were American citizens –gave that segment back to Greece, while Greece acknowledged that the purchase had been made in good faith. The matter was settled and the two parts of the funerary monument are reunited in a Greek museum.

I will now refer to a rather similar case, concerning the Parthenon. The lower part of segment number XXVII of the Parthenon frieze – showing a charioteer, part of a chariot and a stable lad –is in the Parthenon Gallery, while the upper part is in the Duveen Gallery of the British Museum.

Just about anybody will readily understand the similarity of the two stories. In particular, the morally equivalent fate of the piece of marble that was broken off and plundered by Elgin’s team and the severed upper part of the funerary monument – while in both cases, the lower sections remained in the place where the works had been fashioned.

So given that the principle of repatriation was applied in the case of the artefact in New York, exactly the same norm should apply in the case of the broken segment from the northern side of the Parthenon frieze.

One could of course take the argument further and note that in the case of the funerary monument, the buyer was in legal terms an individual rather than a state; and then observe that under international law, no state can retroactively justify illegal acts by one of its citizens on foreign soil - given that in such cases international law supersedes anything enacted by local or national legislatures.

In view of all that, how can it be that a state, in this instance the British state, vindicates the vandalism and plunder perpetrated by one of its subjects? Considering that Elgin, as a private individual, committed an act of vandalism, along with his associates, and broke off sculptures from the Parthenon - only to transport them to England in order to decorate his home, where they would have stayed if he had not gone bankrupt.

People who persist in justifying the purchase of 1816 must surely accept this: the mostone might say is that this decision amounted to a “receipt of stolen goods” in good faith – as was the case with the purchase of upper part of the funerary monument from Brauron.

In no way can they justify the illegal actions of a British subject, Lord Elgin – in view of the considerations I have laid out.

Nor, by the same token, should any government οr state wish to carry the moral burden that results from such tainted acts. I believe the moment has come for our British friends to take a noble decision and rid themselves of the moral burden which Elgin - rashly, and in pursuit of personal gain – laid on Britain, the British Museum and the people of Britain.

The above text was the lead article in a Kathimerini supplement published 17 March 2024, entitled:H AΡΠΑΓΗ, 'Tthe Grab, Elgin and the Parthenon Sculptures'

In the same supplement BCRPM member Bruce Clark's article 'Laws, democracy and hypocrisy' was also plublished.

Photo credit for the images of Professor Stampolidis: Paris Tavitian 

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.

UK Under-Secretary of State Wendy Morton met with Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis on Tuesday 06 April 2021. Minister Varvitsiotis tweeted:
‘Standing together, we continue to deepen our strategic partnership & to strengthen our historic ties in order to jointly address the common challenges of the future.’

“Greece and the United Kingdom are working together to create very strong relations following Brexit and to shape the future strategic partnership between the two states,” Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis stressed following his meeting with the UK Under-Secretary of State, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas, Wendy Morton. The talks focused on the reopening of tourism, the Cyprus issue, cooperation on the migration issue, and security issues in the Eastern Mediterranean. Mr. Varvitsiotis also raised the issue of the Parthenon Marbles.

Mr. Varvitsiotis also raised an issue that, as he said, every Greek politician has a duty to raise: the Parthenon Marbles. More specifically, he stressed  that the Parthenon Marbles must be repatriated and reunited with the Global Heritage Monument of the Parthenon, especially following the opening of the Acropolis Museum, which is ready to welcome the Marbles “back to their home.”

To read the full press release of this meeting, follow the link here.

Greece continues to place the issue of the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles as a permanent request to the UK. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias met with his counter part Dominic Raab, in London earlier on this year, on 02 February 2021 and also broached the subject of the sculptures from the Parthenon in the British Museum. During this meeting, both Ministers reaffirmed the strength of the UK-Greece relationship, noting 2021 marks 200 years since the beginning of the struggle that led to the foundation of the modern Greek state, in which the UK played a key role. The Ministers also discussed proposals for new initiatives to deepen UK-Greece co-operation, including in the fields of education, cultural exchange and defence.

Greece strongly supports the return and restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin and highly appreciates the work and achievements of the UNESCO ICPRCP Intergovernmental Committee, where the issue of the Parthenon Marbles is constantly examined since 1984.

In this context, Greece was disappointed that the United Kingdom refused to accept its request to initiate a mediation process on the Sculptures from the Parthenon through the relevant UNESCO Rules , despite the respective Recommendation of ICPRCP.

Despite the fact that, between 1984 and 2018, the ICPRCP adopted at least 16 Recommendations calling for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, the British side appears, to Greece’s regret, not to have seriously considered as yet the possibility of resolving the dispute over the sculptures of the Parthenon that are in the British Museum.

Aside from the British arguments, Greece's long-standing request to re-house the surviving sculptures of a unique world heritage monument, a 'wonder of the world', will continue to be made at every opportunity possible. Greece remains convinced that fairness will prevail. With that in mind, Greece continues to invite the British Government to reconsider its stand.

Chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marble, Janet Suzman, continues to also look for a deeper, more meaningful exchange of discourse between Greece and the UK. "When we consider that Lord Elgin referred to the sculptures as 'stones of no value', it begs the question as to why, after 200 plus years, we cannot find our generosity of spirit and see the huge merit of reuniting these peerless sculptures in the Acropolis Museum. A donation to Greece of what is in Room 18 would support the long history shared by the UK with Greece. There is so much more to be gained in finding a way to facilitate such a donation than to be using arguments that are out of step with the times and global opinion."

From 27-29 September, the 22nd session of the ICPRCP, UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in case of Illicit Appropriation, took place in Paris.

The ICPRCP advisory body facilitates bilateral negotiations and offers mediator services to states concerning the return and restitution of cultural property.

To watch the proceeding of the three days, visit: http://webcast.unesco.org/events/2021-09-22ICPRCP/ 

The presentation by Greece took place on Wednesday the 28th of September. Greece was represented by the Ministry of Culture by the Secretary General of Culture George Didaskalou, the new General Director of the Acropolis Museum Nikolaos Stampolidis, the Head of the Directorate of Documentation and Protection of Cultural Heritage and Legal Adviser of the Special Legal Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Artemis Papathanassiou. For the first time, apart from the recommendation, a decision with stronger wording was also agreed.

Greece's Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni, made the following statement:

"Greece's request for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens has been on the agenda of UNESCO Intergovernmental Committees on the Return of Cultural Property to the Countries of Origin (ICPRCP) since 1984, when it was first introduced by Melina Mercouri and remains there again today, 30 September 2021.

At the 22nd session of the ICPRCP, which ended on the 29th of September evening, the Committee issued (due to the countless efforts of Greece and the invaluable support of Zambia, Egypt, and other countries-members of the ICPRCP) for the first time, a Decision concerning specially the issue of the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. The Committee urges , through the Decision, the United Kingdom to reconsider its position and to negotiate with Greece, in bona fide, acknowledging that the matter is intergovernmental - contrary to the British side's claim that the case concerns exclusively the Trustees of the British Museum - and that Greece is claiming rightly and legally the Return of the Sculptures. The new Decision, is a very important development in the recognition of the legality and intergovernmental character of Greece’s just claim.

I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the members of the Greek delegation, as well as our Permanent Representation to UNESCO for their diligent commitment to the return of the Sculptures. All worked rigorously and consistently to achieve this extremely positive result.”

The UK's prsentation during the meeting upheld the BM's position with the same old and tired arguments for the continued retention of the fragmented sculptures from the Parthenon in Room 18. Nonetheless, there was a consensus among member nations that this cultural dispute deserved after all this time, to be resolved through the faciliation of the ICPRCP. 

BCRPM in supporting Greece and nations across the globe, which have all recognised the significance of this peerless collection of sculptures and the exceptional top floor Parthenon Gallery in the Acropolis Museum, applaud these ICPRCP recommendations and the new decision. We are all looking forward to dialogue. It is our collective respect for the Parthenon, which deserves to be the catalyst for change, starting with honest talks to resolve the long awaited reunification of the Parthenon Marbles. The time is now.

The added value of this year's ICPRCP new decision as summed up in eKathimerini, reads as follows:

The decision of the 22nd session of the ICPRCP's Commission expresses its strong dissatisfaction with the fact that the issue remains unresolved due to the United Kingdom's stance. In addition, it urges the United Kingdom to reconsider its position and enter into a bona fide dialogue with Greece, emphasizing the intergovernmental nature of the dispute.

This decision was the result of the tireless efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Ministry of Culture.

Accordingly, the text of this year's Recommendation reflects, inter alia, the Commission's concern that the Duveen Gallery at the British Museum, where half of the surviving Parthenon Sculptures are on display, is closed to the public due to the necessary restoration work.

15 December 2021, artnet

Parthenon Galleries, Room 18 in the Briish Mueum remained closed for 13 months and were reopened this week, on Monday 13 December 2021 

Dan Hicks' Op-Ed article in artnet says it all. Wednesday 15 December 2021 was the 10th anniversary of Christopher Hitchens' death. For those of you that have supported our Committee for nearly four decades and those of you that have joined us recently, the book that Christopher Hitchens wrote, is one to also read. 

Dan Hicks article 'The U.K. Has Held Onto the Parthenon Marbles for Centuries—But the Tide Is Turning' in arnet suggests that change may come by 2030. As we circulated this article to our members, Alex M Benakis emailed a swift response: 'oh please can we do better than 2030! I will be 93! Don't know if I can hang on for that long.'

Dan starts his article by quoting Christopher Hitchens: "those who support the status quo at the British Museum have the great advantage of inertia on their side.” Dan Hicks adds:'Today, things could hardly be more different.' As more museums are considering returing artefacts to their countries of origin. The best example to date are the returns of the Benin Bronzes.

The third edition Christopher Hitchens book 'The Parthenon Marbles, The Case for Reunification' was launched at Chatham House in May 2008 by BCRPM with George Bizos and Christopher Hitchens travelling to London, a year before the opening of the new Acropolis Museum. It is available from Verso, you can follow the link here.

'Now that the Benin Bronzes are being returned by an ever-growing number of European and North American institutions, might we finally see the return of the Parthenon Marbles?' Asks Dan Hicks. He believes so and adds: 'today, the longstanding push-and-pull between Athens and London over the legal technicalities of what constitutes rightful ownership and what museum press-officers prefer to euphemistically call acquisition is being reframed.'

Dan also feels that 'matters came to a head this fall, on September 28, when a resolution about the return of the Marbles came before UNESCO’s Return and Restitution Intergovernmental Committee (ICPRCP). The British rhetoric that the British Museum “is a world museum” sounded tired coming after the elegant claim by professor Nikos Stampolidis, the newly-elected Director-General of the Acropolis Museum, that “the return of the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece is a universal demand.”

The newly elected Director-General of the Acropolis Museum, Professor Nikos Stampolidis in the Parthenon Gallery, Athens, Greece.

'The committee’s concluding decision stated that “the obligation to return the Parthenon Sculptures lies squarely” on the U.K. government and expressed “disappointment” with the U.K.’s position. The group called on the nation “to reconsider its stand and proceed to a bonafide dialog with Greece on the matter.”

This was swiftly followed by Kyriakos Mitsotakis London visit on 16 November 2021 and his eloquent request for reunification made on breakfast TV and at 10 Downing Street, plus the Science Museum. Janet Suzman, BCRPM's Chair wrote: 'Sometimes fairy tales come true: I never thought to see the stunning coverage given to the Parthenon Marbles by two leading right-wing newspapers, The Mail and The Telegraph.' To read her article follow the link here.

Just last week on 08 December 2021, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution (supported by 111 countries) introduced by Greece entitled: “Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin”.

Dan Hicks concludes that 'predictions are always risky, and as an archaeologist I confess that the future is technically not my period of expertise. Nonetheless, in this new cultural, internationalist, and intellectual atmosphere, it’s hard to believe that the Parthenon Marbles won’t have been reunited in Athens by the end of the decade.' To read the full article on arnet, follow the link here.

Dan Hicks is Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at the University of Oxford. His latest book, The Brutish Museums: the Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution is now out in paperback. Twitter: @ProfDanHicks

“We disagree with UNESCO's decision; the Parthenon Sculptures were acquired legally“, UK government says in a Ta Nea aricle written by Yannis Andritsopoulos, 07 October 2021.

The British government has said that it will not abide by a recent UNESCO decision on the Parthenon Marbles also insisted that “the Parthenon Sculptures were acquired legally” and rejected UNESCO’s call to reconsider its position and to negotiate with Greece on the return of the 2,500-year-old cultural treasures.

Speaking to Greek newspaper Ta Nea, a government spokesperson said that the UK government “disagrees” with the decision, adding that it intends to challenge it before UNESCO.

The response came after the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property (ICPRCP) voted unanimously for the first time at its 22nd session to include the return of the Parthenon Marbles in its decision document, marking a major step forward since Greece first introduced the request to the meeting’s agenda in 1984.

ICPRCP’s decision says that Greece’s request for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures is "legitimate and rightful" and calls on Britain "to reconsider its stand and proceed to a bona fide dialogue with Greece on the matter".

Most importantly, the Committee acknowledges for the first time that "the case has an intergovernmental character and, therefore, the obligation to return the Parthenon Sculptures lies squarely on the UK Government."

This is in stark contrast to the UK government’s assertion that it is for the British Museum, not the government, to discuss the issue and make decisions related to it.

“We disagree with the Committee’s decision adopted in the closing minutes of the session and are raising issues relating to fact and procedure with UNESCO,” a UK government spokesperson told Ta Nea.

“Our position is clear—the Parthenon Sculptures were acquired legally in accordance with the law at the time. The British Museum operates independently of the government and free from political interference. All decisions relating to collections are taken by the Museum’s trustees,” the spokesperson added.

A British Museum spokesperson told Ta Nea that “the Trustees of the British Museum have a legal and moral responsibility to preserve and maintain all the collections in their care,” adding that “the Parthenon Sculptures are an integral part of (the Museum’s collection) story and a vital element in this interconnected world collection”.

Greece insists that it is the rightful owner of the Parthenon Marbles. The Greek government says that the sculptures were illegally removed from the Parthenon during the Ottoman occupation of Greece in the early 1800s.

In his first interview with a European newspaper since becoming the UK’s prime minister, Boris Johnson dashed Greece’s hopes of getting the Marbles back, telling Greek daily Ta Nea that they were “legally acquired by Lord Elgin under the appropriate laws of the time and have been legally owned by the British Museum’s Trustees since their acquisition.”

The British Museums’ comment to Ta Nea in full:

“The British Museum has a long history of collaboration with UNESCO and admires and supports its work. The Trustees of the British Museum have a legal and moral responsibility to preserve and maintain all the collections in their care and to make them accessible to world audiences. The Trustees want to strengthen existing good relations with colleagues and institutions in Greece, and to explore collaborative ventures directly between institutions, not on a government-to-government basis. This is why we believe that working in partnership across the world represents the best way forward. Museums holding Greek works, whether in Greece, the UK or elsewhere in the world, are naturally united to show the importance of the legacy of ancient Greece. The British Museum is committed to playing its full part in sharing the value of that legacy.

“The Museum takes its commitment to be a world museum seriously. The collection is a unique resource to explore the richness, diversity and complexity of all human history, our shared humanity. The strength of the collection is its breadth and depth which allows millions of visitors an understanding of the cultures of the world and how they interconnect – whether through trade, migration, conquest, conflict, or peaceful exchange.

“The Parthenon Sculptures are an integral part of that story and a vital element in this interconnected world collection, particularly in the way in which they convey the influences between Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Roman cultures. We share this collection with the widest possible public, lending objects all over the world and making images and information on over four million objects from the collection available online.

“The approach of the Acropolis Museum and the British Museum are complementary: the Acropolis Museum provides an in-depth view of the ancient history of its city, the British Museum offers a sense of the wider cultural context and sustained interaction with the neighbouring civilisations of Egypt and the Near East which contributed to the unique achievements of ancient Greece”.

Britain had previously rejected Greece’s request to hold talks on returning the Marbles after Athens proposed a meeting between experts from the two countries.

Unanimous adoption five minutes before the end of the meeting

Yannis Andritsopulos of Ta Neawrites that the decision of the 22nd Session of the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO, the ICPRCP was taken with the efforts of  the behind-the-scenes diplomatic steps taken by Greece. The Zambia delegation introduced COM 17 to the plenary at the end of the Summit and the decision was adopted unanimously. Despite subsequent protests from the British side, due process had been followed throughout the proceedings of this session, a Greek government source told the "Ta Nea". The President of this Session of the ICPRCP read out the full text of the decision and asked its members four times if there are any objections. There was none.

To listen to the 22nd Session of the ICPRCP, follow the link here.

Greece was represented at the 22nd Session of the ICPRCP by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture Georgios Didaskalou, the new General Director of the Acropolis Museum Nikolaos Stampolidis, the Director of the department for the protection of cultural property of the Ministry of Culture Vasiliki Papageorgiou and the legal advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Artemis Papathanassiou. Greece exerted pressure for the decision on the issue to be finalised. "Although Britain does not accept dialogue, Greece continues to ask for this and on this occassion we asked the committee to do something more," added the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reprsentative, Ms Papathanassiou with the ICPRCP President accepting her request for the drafting of a decision to be adopted by the Comittee. 

Greece was represented at at the 22nd Session of the ICPRCP by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture Georgios Didaskalou, the new General Director of the Acropolis Museum Nikolaos Stampolidis, the Director of the department for the protection of cultural property of the Ministry of Culture Vasiliki Papageorgiou and the legal advisor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Artemis Papathanassiou.  

 "We congratulate Greece on this excellent result and hope that Britain will finally review its stance and engage in dialogue. At some point, the day will come when we will see the Sculptures reunited in the Acropolis Museum," commented Dr Christiane Titgat, president of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures (IARPS).

Dr Christiane Tytgat, President of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures (IARPS)

BCRPM observations, 07 October 2021.

Wednesday 06 October 2021, saw the final day of the Conservative Party Conference at Manchester Central Convention Complex.Prime Minister Johnson's speech included his take on how to conserve British heritage and culture:

"It has become clear to me that this isn’t just a joke – they really do want to rewrite our national story, starting with Hereward the Woke. We really are at risk of a kind of know-nothing cancel culture, know-nothing iconoclasm. We Conservatives will defend our history and cultural inheritance not because we are proud of everything, but because trying to edit it now is as dishonest as a celebrity trying furtively to change his entry in Wikipedia, and it’s a betrayal of our children’s education."

A reminder that goblal Britain can only claim to be global by being omnipotent? History doesn't have to be rewitten but it has to told as a whole story. And we come back to BCRPM's 20 June protest outside the British Museum, with a poster asking the BM to come clean. Janet Suzman wrote:  

' NOT explaining the full story of these Marbles, and is not worthy of such an august institution. Each case should be considered on its merits since each case is different. The Marbles case is unique.

The BM's Director, Hartwig Fischer, has developed a defensive trope about separation being a 'creative act'. Well, he would, wouldn’t he? The Marbles are one of the BM's star attractions.

The Rodin show a few years ago re-inforced the marbles' supremacy in execution and their diminished meaning in isolation. Imagine one of Rodin’s great figures from the group called The Burghers of Calais standing separated from its fellows in a far country? That would hardly be a ‘creative act’.

The BM is a great encyclopaedic institution while being an Aladdin's Cave of conquest. Imperial Britain took objects from other countries because it could.

But there's a mood abroad which abhors colonialist attitudes and entitlement that it must wake up to.'

For more on the 20 June 2021 protest follow, the link here.

We also believe, ladies and gentlemen, in the countless possibilities offered by science and technology. Earlier this week, at Olympia, that power of technology was on display with the launch of Ancient Olympia : Commons Grounds, a unique collaboration with Microsoft that is harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence and opening up a completely new way of expressing what our cultural heritage is all about.

The scale and depth of Olympia’s pastcan now be experienced on the site itself or remotely anywhere in the world, using cutting edge augmented reality tools.

This is about using innovation to deliver a new frontier in the preservation and public understanding of our cultural heritage – a mission all the more critical given the changing times we face.

Because climate change, pollution and international conflicts affect our present and shape our future. But they also have serious implications on our past.

Our changing environment and extreme weather events pose a direct and growing threat to great monuments of civilization. It is that threat that persuaded us of the need for action, which is why we launched what we considered to be an important initiative called “Addressing climate change impacts on cultural and natural heritage”.

I would like to thank UNESCO for its invaluable support in that initiative. Of course, it is impossible to overstate the importance of, and our commitment to, the third pillar of UNESCO: CULTURE.

There cannot be dialogue between nations, without dialogue amongst cultures. Something which presupposes respect for the history, heritage, and identity of each nation. To my mind that means that emblematic monuments, inherently connected to the very identity of a nation, should be a matter of that nation.

Take the Parthenon Sculptures, which make up a hugely significant piece of the world’s cultural heritage and are perhaps the most important symbolic link between modern Greeks and their ancestors.

Most of that collection can be found on display in the Acropolis Museum, a few hundred meters from the Parthenon. That they can be seen in situ, in their birthplace, connected visually to the monument which lends the sculptures their global significance, that really matters.

However, while a part of that collection remains exiled in London that impact can never be fully appreciated. That is why I believe it is essential that the Parthenon marbles in London should be reunited with the majority of the Parthenon Sculptures in Athens.

Last September a pivotal step was taken by UNESCOs Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property.

For the first time, it unanimously adopted a decision recognising that “the case has an intergovernmental character and, therefore, the obligation to return the Parthenon Sculptures lies squarely on the UK Government”.

The UK should move to a bona fide dialogue with Greece. And I urge them to do so. After all, this year marks the 200th anniversary of Greece’s War of Independence. There could be no better time than now, in which to reunite the missing section of the Parthenon Sculptures – in their birthplace – in Greece.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis

12 November 2021, Paris, UNESCO’s 75th Anniversary celebration

Publications that carried more on this include: 

Reuters 

eKathemerini

The Telegraph 

And on Saturday 13 November 2021:

The Independent

The Guardian

The Belfast Telegraph

The Metro

To Vima

And on Sunday 14 November 2021:

Parkiaki