Antiquities that were unearthed in Greece and ended up in Germany during WWII will soon be repatriated, the culture ministry announced on Thursday. Among them are 10,600 fragments of clay vessels, stone artifacts, and osteological material that were unearthed during excavations carried out between June and December 1941 by the Nazi occupation forces.
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| 10,600 antiquities kept in German museums since WWII will be repatriated to Greece [Credit: To Vima] |
The formal ceremony for the return of the antiquities was held at Pfahlibau Museum in the German city of Unteruhldingen on Wednesday, the culture ministry said.
Culture & Sports Minister Konstantinos Tassoulas referred to the symbolism of the gesture and to incidents of antiquity smuggling and destruction recorded across Greece during the Nazi occupation. He also referred to the recent repatriation of archaeological material unearthed at the site of Magoula Visviki and neolithic sites in Thessaly, central Greece, noting that such moves contribute decisively to the strengthening of bilateral ties.
The National Archaeological Museum will be the first stop of the repatriated antiquities before they are transferred to local museums.
Source: ANA/MPA [June 20, 2014]
