Geraldine Kendall Adams reporting in the Museums Association writes: 

The UK Government is to exclude national museums and galleries from legislation that would have enabled them to restitute objects on moral grounds.

Under provisions in sections 15 and 16 of the Charities Act 2022, the trustees of national museums and galleries would have been allowed to seek authorisation from the Charity Commission if they felt compelled by moral obligation to make a transfer of charity property – a voluntary gesture of goodwill known as an ex gratia payment.

This would have provided them with a route to restitution, undermining existing statutes that prevent most national museums and galleries in England from deaccessioning items in all but limited circumstances.

The government says the implications of the legislation were not made clear when the bill passed through parliament.

In January this year, the arts and heritage minister, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, wrote to the Charity Commission to set out the government's position on the bill.

"The policy of HM Government is that national museums and galleries should continue to be bound by their governing legislation, precluding them from resolving to restitute objects from their collections other than in the limited and specific circumstances expressly provided for in legislation.

"To that end, we will specifically exclude those national museums and galleries from the commencement of sections 15 and 16 of the act."

The government is looking to bring sections 15 and 16 of the act into force later this year.

Some sector leaders, including Tristram Hunt, diirector of London's Victoria & Albert Museum, made clear that they would like national institutions to be given more leeway to return objects.

Read this Museums Association article in full.

An analysis of the issues around repatriation and restitution in national museums will be published in the March/April issue of Museums Journal.

THE PARTHENON MARBLES DISPUTE: Heritage, Law, Politics
Alexander Herman

The Parthenon Marbles are hot. Not in the sense that they are to be lusted after, as was Praxiteles’s also marble sculpture, the Aphrodite of Knidos, but because the question of whether the extant members should—ever—be reunified in Athens is a hot-button political issue, hot enough to set the Prime Ministers of Greece and the U.K. at each other’s throats. Into the fray intrepidly steps Alexander Herman, Director of the Institute of Art and Law, UK.

His otherwise estimable work suffers in one regard, however, the timing of its publication. It unfortunately finds itself up against that of Professor Catharine Titi, The Parthenon Marbles and International Law (Springer Verlag, 2023). Titi is an international human rights lawyer-academic of Greek origin based in Paris. Her magisterial work is truly groundbreaking and superior to the first four chapters of Herman’s (pp. 1-65). Those cover the original acquisition—or theft—of what ‘our man in Constantinople’, the Seventh Lord Elgin, UK ambassador to the Ottoman Sublime Porte, had removed by force and fraud from the ruined temple on the Athenian Acropolis to—eventually—London in the first decades of the 19th century. As Titi demonstrates beyond a peradventure, Elgin had no good legal title to what he claimed to own and sold to the British government in 1816 for £35,000. A fortiori, the British government had none either: it is only in UK domestic law that we the British people ‘own’ Parthenon sculptures.

H.’s book is, however, a useful and usable complement to Professor Titi’s. Like her, he rightly raises the crucially moral—as well as cultural, political, aesthetic etc.—issue at stake in the original Elgin (ad)venture—see ‘Law and Morality’ (pp. 51-3, concluding Chapter 3, ‘A Firman by Any Other Name’). He then proceeds in his remaining six chapters to give, as claimed, a thorough and no less importantly a balanced and critical account of the Elgin ‘dispute’, almost blow-by-blow.

Between 1816 and 2024 there have been several notable crunch-points: among them the newfangled Greek state’s original request for return of the BM’s marbles in the 1830s, and the passage in 1963—again, as in 1816, by a Tory government—of an Act of Parliament forbidding with only a couple of exceptions the BM ever to de-acquisition any of its now about 8 million (minus of course the 2000 or so recently liberated by a rogue curator) holdings. Look to the end, as Herodotus has one of his characters (Solon) presciently say …

Herman’s book is provided with a truly wonderful index, which has no fewer than ten ‘Parthenon’ entries, extending over almost 4 double-column pages. These start with: Parthenon centrality of, and proceed by way of … construction of (447-438) (Periclean Project); … Marbles (after arrival in Britain); … Marbles (history of the claim: British arguments against return/counter-arguments); … Marbles (history of the claim: legal action (IARPM)); … Marbles (history of the claim) (in date order); … Marbles (resolving the dispute); ‘Parthenon Partnership’; and Parthenon Project; to, finally, Parthenon sculptures.

Another special feature of H.’s book besides its index is its incorporation of the views of—among other interviewees—curators, museum directors, lawyers, archaeologists, and politicians in both London and Athens. Yet another are its suggestions for new ways of resolving all such cultural-heritage disputes going forward. If only….

Readers will no doubt wish to be selective in what claims and arguments they choose to focus upon. The very construction of the original Parthenon (not the whole temple’s name) was controversial, and the temple’s function or rather functions, and the interpretation of some or all of its many and polyvalent adornments, remain controversial to this day. H. gives a helpful dateline of the history of the ultimately Greek claim to reunification and the mainly British government/Museum’s counter-claims.

But what of his own views? There is a clue in the fact that he is not in favour of modifying, let alone rescinding, the 1963 Museums Act, and on p. 155 there is perhaps a sketch in miniature of his own, studiously neutral, formally apolitical position: ‘Perhaps it may be better … to leave the ultimate question of resolution to the museums themselves’. That will not be music to those of us who firmly believe the rightful permanent home for those Parthenon sculptures that the British Museum currently holds in trust for the British nation is the (specially dedicated, opened in 2009) Acropolis Museum in their native Athens.

Paul Cartledge

Vice-Chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM), a non-profit campaign group established in 1983, and an elected Vice-President of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures (IARPS).

This review was published in Classic for All.

The headline of Niko Efstathiou's article in Kathimerini, 05 February 2023, post his visit to London took our breath away: 'In London, the return of the Parthenon Sculptures seems all but inevitable'.

For most of us, and not just in Greece and the UK but globally too, this has been a hope that has burned passionately for what seems like forever.

That Niko encountered visitors in the British Museum's Room 18  admiring the fragmented and divided Parthenon Marbles, also saying how they hoped to see them reunited, was nothing new. This has been happening for sometime. More so however since the opening of the superlative Acropolis Museum in June 2009.

"No major news has surfaced in the past few months, since British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s last-minute cancellation of a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis in late November reinvigorated a decade-old cultural debate. But today, the sentiment in London is that the return of the 2,500-year-old marble sculptures and reliefs is all but inevitable." Writes Niko as he goes on to outline the strong public support, which has also been there for sometime.

The British sense of far-play to the fore: if these sculptures were removed when the country of origin had no voice, we ought to do the right thing, and return them to the country of origin. A sentiment echoed at UNESCO's ICPRCP and translated into recommendations and conclusions to highlight the ever pressing need to find a solution to this, long running, cultural heritage dispute. A dispute that has kept the media writing, and voicing their observations. There has been no end to the coverage for this just cause.  

"In an exercise where legal formulation meets branding, significant efforts are being made by both parties to keep the agreement’s messaging positive, and the wording around ownership vague enough so that both Greece – which regards ownership over the artifacts as key in any potential agreement – and the British Museum – which is restricted by laws, such as the British Museum Act of 1963, that ban the removal of artifacts from its collection – can come to a consensus." Continues Nikos in his article and indeed we reflect on how many times BCRPM's Chairs and Vice-Chairs have urged the UK to consider amending the law. An amendment that was not given the consideration it deserved  because of fear. The fear of  'what else' would be requested and spurious 'floodgates' arguments stopping any sensible progress. Fear by the UK's PMs, and MPs. 

And Nikos goes on to add: "In the meantime, if there is one thing pushing the deal closer towards fruition it is the British Museum’s leadership".  Totally on point, as the British Museum and the UK Government were never keen to engage in dialogue.  Now under the leadership of George Osborne, the British Museum is looking for a 'win-win' long term partnership where cultural artefacts are given maximun mobility, and these peerless sculptures are allowed to travel back to Attica.

We will never forget when one of the sculptures, Ilissos, travelled to St Petersburg, nor can we forget the equally unsupportive reaction of those that hold the British Museum in the highest esteem. It was not, that Director's finest hour, made worse by what hasn't made relations between the West and Russia any better. The annexing of Crimea it seemed was just the begining of a grander scheme to gain more land, and Russia invaded Ukraine on the 24 February 2022. Ilissos' move from London to St Petersburg sparked more support for the reunification of these sculptures, than it did for the relations betweeb Russia and the West.

And so to 2024 and two friendly nations looking to a museum “partnership that requires no one to relinquish their claims.”

"Paradoxically, though the explosive diplomatic spat that took place in November suggested that the current UK government will not back a potential deal, Downing Street’s impulsive reaction may have also triggered a change in British politics. Sunak’s panicked decision to cancel the meeting with Mitsotakis ended up being widely criticized by all sides of the political spectrum, among others by Osborne himself, a former chancellor of the exchequer for a Tory government, who suggested it was a “hissy fit.” Continues to write Niko. Indeed what was PM Sunak thinking?

“I jumped up and down with joy when it happened, because obviously it was a mistake,” recalls Dame Janet Suzman, actress and chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, while detailing to Kathimerini her reaction to Sunak’s controversial snub. “I honestly think it is not something he thought about very deeply, it was a surface reaction in reply to an analogy used by the Greek PM on British TV. But it created a tidal wave of publicity for the return of the sculptures, so we were naturally quite thrilled in our organization.”

British politicians making mistakes, errors in diplomacy and international relations? Did this snub help the request for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles? Our Chair, Janet says yes.

"As much as Greece would like to keep British politics out of any potential agreement, guaranteeing governmental support would make the deal with the British Museum far easier to implement. Herein lies the last factor most probably aligning with Greece’s case – at least very soon. Brits are heading to the polls in less than a year for national elections, and with polls unanimously showing the Tories trailing the Labour Party by unprecedented margins, a change in government seems almost certain. By all accounts, Sunak’s most likely successor, current opposition leader Keir Starmer, will be far more cooperative in the case of the Parthenon Marbles’ reunification." Writes Nikos. And indeed this sentiment was also echoed by Victoria Hislop during her interviews, whilst in Athens for the launch of her latest fictional novel, which was published also in Greek. A book launch that took place at the Acropolis Museum, on Thursday, 25 January.

And PM Mitsotakis' endevour, his mission to reunite the sculptures, a mission he has continued to push on with for nearly two years. “Let me be clear, we will insist on their reunification,” he said in New York.

"And though it is now waiting time, and the exact details of the deal are far from set and still kept away from public scrutiny, it is hard not to see that his vision – once a huge point of contention with Britain – is more likely to materialize than ever before." Concludes Niko Efstathiou.

To read Niko's toughtful article in full, follow the link here.

On behalf of all of us at The British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, I extend our fervent good wishes to His Majesty for a successful recovery.

We hold his support for the Greek cause very dear, and we wish him robust good health for many years to come.

Janet Suzman, Chair

Author, Victoria Hislop, launched her latest book 'The Figurine' last year in the UK, and on the 25th of January this year, the book, translated into Greek, and entitled 'To Eidolio', was launched at the Acropolis Museum. The Museum’s Director, Nikos Stampoulidis, introduced the book before Victoria was interviewed by Alexis Papahelas, Editor-in-Chief of Kathimerini.

Victoria Hislop joined BCRPM in March 2021 but it feels as though she has been a supporter forever.

Press coverage reflected Greece's love for this author as much as the love this author has for Greece. Kathimerini's article post Victoria's book launch in Athens explains that 'The Figurine' (published in Greek by Psichogios), addresses the issue of antiquity theft.

"I think the extent of the looting of antiquities and the long and complex chain of intermediaries who profit from it really surprised me. And, of course, the lack of scruples of those who have benefited, even the famous auction houses who in the past have deliberately overlooked the “history” of how certain objects were acquired,” explains Victoria.

"There are some very notable examples of illegality that are better known than figurine thefts" continues Victoria. "The Parthenon Marbles for example, which is a huge issue for Greece – and should be for the British as well. I firmly believe that the sculptures should be returned to Athens and reunited with the others in the beautiful Acropolis Museum. And on this there are developments. There is dialogue between Greece and the chairman of the British Museum. But for now, the British Museum is not going to change its fundamental belief that the sculptures “belong” to it. They are currently looking for a new director and we hope it is someone with understanding as far as the division of these sculptures is concerned. What is really required is for the museum to acknowledge that they acquired stolen property when they bought the sculptures from Lord Elgin. And for two centuries they have been endlessly repeating to themselves, and to their visitors, the same lie: that the sultan gave official permission for Elgin to take the sculptures. I believe that one day they will be returned, but not until we have a change of government, a more enlightened one. We still have the government that brought about Brexit and who believe in some kind of superiority of Britain over the world – and that we have a right to own these works of art. This is not an open-minded position."

To read the full article, follow the link here. To watch the promo video for the book's Greek version, follow the link to YouTube.

George Dalaras, Victoria Hslop, Nikos Stampolidis and Anna Dalaras

On 30 January another interview was published, following on from Victoria's presentation at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall as part of the second cycle of events "Writers of the world travel to the Concert Hall". Victoria is quoted: "If something is stolen from another country, it must return to its home . Already countless things from other major museums in the world have been returned to the right place. Although the British Museum is conservative, I think it should open its eyes, and UK politicians should listen to society", referring to the UK opinion polls showing that a majority continue to support for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.

Thessaloniki Concert Hall, the second cycle of events: "Writers of the world travel to the Concert Hall"

Victoria agreed with Dr. Papakostas, who described antiquities as "rape of cultural heritage" and explained how much historical information is lost when artefacts are removed from their place of origin. Victoria Hislop admitted that it was only five years ago that she realized how important archaeology is, and she estimated that many people still do not understand it.

Dr. Papakostas in conversation with VIictoria Hislop

Tina Mandilara also interviwed Victoria on 02 February for Proto Thema. "In addition to the Greek language, which she learned by taking intensive lessons, Hislop speaks with passion and love for Greece that, as one review wrote, "overflows through her every word." Especially her new voluminous - almost 600 pages - book "The Idol"  literally runs through the entire spectrum of Greek History, since it starts from the days of the military coup of '67 and then moves on to present day Greece."

Tina addresses with Victoria the plight of the Parthenon Marbles: 'Regarding the argument that PM Sunak refused to meet PM Mitsotakis after the Greek prime minister's interview with the BBC, Hislop counters that "it is nonsense. How was it possible for the Greek prime minister not to discuss such an issue and, even more, how is it possible to omit it from the agenda? It doesn't make any sense." Of course, she says that this negative outcome  was ultimately for good since "we who fight for the return of the Parthenon Marbles were also heard. We sincerely thank Sunak for what he did in that respect." Concludes Victoria Hislop.

“For two years now, we have enjoyed positive discussions with the Chair of the British Museum on a possible new partnership that brings the two parts of the sculptures together, as one, in Athens,” Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in his message during a visit to New York.

“Let me be clear, we will insist on their reunification for many reasons, but one, in my mind, is the most important. Because only by being seen together, in situ, in the shadow of the Acropolis, can we truly appreciate their immense cultural importance for Western civilization,” he added.

To read the artcle in Kathimerini, follow the link here, and to watch the address by PM Mitsotakis, the link here.