One hundred years after the loss of a multinational cultural relic

On May 13, Bernd Neumann, German cultural and media commissioner, said that Germany agreed to return a Sphinx to Turkey. This artifact was excavated by a German archaeologist in 1915 in ruins of the ancient capital of Hittite in Turkey.

The loss of cultural relics is difficult to count. Recently, similar "return of the drama" was performed frequently. On May 9th, the Rouen Museum in France returned the Maori heads to New Zealand. On April 28, Japan returned 1,205 ancient books such as the "Korean Royal Priest" to South Korea. On March 30th, the United States returned the Indian and Machu Picchu Inca artifacts; Around February 19, Britain returned the Middle Ages to Italy. In 2010, Britain returned 85 boxes of 25,000 artifacts from Egypt. It is the largest cultural relic returned so far.

The country of origin of the cultural relics actively pursued it. The international community seems to have set off a "return of cultural relics," but it is only a drop in the ocean compared with the loss of cultural relics. The large-scale cultural relics in colonial and warfare led to the loss of cultural relics. The British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of New York, and the Louvre in France can be called “the collection of cultural relics of all nations”.

Taking Egyptian cultural relics as an example, according to statistics, the British Museum has tens of thousands of treasures, and there are 45,000 French Louvre Museums. Great museums in the United States, Germany, and other countries use Egyptian cultural relics as treasures for their town halls. According to UNESCO, China has 1.63 million pieces of cultural materials scattered in 218 museums in 47 countries, and the number of private collections is 10 times.

The relics of the cultural relics have long been long and the German relics were returned. Neumann emphasized that it was an “example” and could not be extended. Recently, the United Kingdom passed the "Great Holocaust (Return of Works) Restitution Act" for the first time to return artifacts of the "World War II" period. It also stressed that the bill was only used in the "World War II" period of cultural relics, lest a single wave of waves be caused by the stone, and the relics should be returned to the gates. . Holding countries hold tight and it is difficult to trace cultural relics.

According to another analysis, most of the "second class cultural relics" returned were "abandoned" rather than "returned." The Brooklyn Museum of America returned 4,500 artifacts to Costa Rica. Most of the cheaper pottery and stone tools were returned. The Metropolitan Museum also returned 19 Egyptian artifacts from the tomb of Tutankhamun to Egypt. The cultural treasures of the town hall, such as the head of the Queen Nefertiti of the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum, and the Elgin marble sculpture, have no hope of returning to the country.

There is a saying that the cultural relics go back to the country: "To study Chinese history, go to Japan." This is not without reason, Japan has kept countless Chinese cultural relics. According to the data, nearly 30,000 pieces of oracle bone chips that have lost overseas have been collected in Japan with a maximum of 13,000 pieces. Cultural relics are cultural carriers. A large number of cultural relics are lost or cultural inheritance is broken. As a result, historical knowledge is ambiguous and lacking. Therefore, all countries have spared no effort to pursue cultural relics.

In 1973, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 3187, “Returning Art Preying on Countries”. This is the first time that the United Nations has made relevant resolutions. So far there have been many international conventions. According to Egypt’s highest cultural relics committee, Hawass, “The cultural relics belong to their own nation and country. No matter what kind of cultural relics they acquire, they must be returned to the original owners.”

There are also different voices for recourse to international heritage. The New York Times article states that Greece, Egypt, and other countries should quell and stop actions that require Western museums to return artifacts. "For future generations, we must act as custodians of global culture." There are many reasons for the loss of cultural relics. The international conventions have limited retrospective power and execution, and they may have more initiative than the country of origin. At present, there is no "magic weapon" for pursuing cultural relics, and cultural relics go back to the country.