Dr. Zahi Hawass, a former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities and renowned archaeological expert, launched a petition on change.org urging Germany to return the colored limestone bust of Queen Nefertiti to Egypt. The bust is currently housed in Berlin's Neues Museum. Hawass aims to gather 25,000 signatures for this petition, and after six days of publication, the number of signatures reached nearly 22,000.
Zahi Hawass published this petition on October 18, addressing his complaint to three responsible figures in Germany: Claudia Roth, Minister of State for Culture and the Media; Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation; and Friederike Seyfried, Director of the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection at the Neues Museum in Berlin. In his petition, Hawass wrote: "I am writing on behalf of the Egyptians, and all those who strongly advocate for the return of Egypt's heritage to its homeland, to request the return of the Nefertiti statue made of colored limestone, which is registered in the Neues Museum in Berlin under number AM 21300."
The petition reads: "This unique bust, with its historical and aesthetic value, is currently in Germany. Now is the time for its return to Egypt." Hawass believes that the bust should be returned to Egypt as it is one of the most important archaeological pieces in the country. He stated that the goal of the petition is to resume dialogue about the return of the statue and to obtain a positive response from the German authorities.
Dr. Zahi Hawass called for an increase in Egyptian signatures to create public pressure for the recovery of Egyptian artifacts from abroad. During a phone call on the program "Al-Hekaya" on MBC Masr channel, Hawass asked the media figure Amr Adib to display the website on the program. He said to Amr Adib: "If every two weeks you show the invitation on the screen and tell the people to sign, because people love you and listen to your words, you will help us in the popular campaign."
The bust of Queen Nefertiti, believed to have been crafted in 1345 B.C., has been in Berlin since 1922, after being discovered by the German Oriental Society during excavations in the ruins of Akhetaten (now Tell el-Amarna) on December 6, 1912. German Egyptologist Ludwig Borchardt led the excavation. The bust was brought to Germany in 1913 and has an estimated value of €400 million ($433 million). Its height is approximately 50 centimeters.
Zahi Hawass asserts that the bust "was brazenly stolen from Egypt by the Germans in 1913 when it was concealed and smuggled out of the country despite laws that declared it illegal to remove 'exceptional' archaeological finds from Egypt." He insists that Ludwig Borchardt took the bust of Nefertiti out of the country under false pretenses.
The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which oversees Berlin's museum collections, maintains that the bust was obtained legally. According to Stefan Müchler, spokesperson for the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, "The bust of Nefertiti was found in the course of an excavation authorized by the Egyptian Administration of Antiquities." He stated that "the bust was legally taken out of the country and there is no restitution claim of the Egyptian government." Müchler referred to a deal with Egyptian authorities that detailed a 50-50 split of some 10,000 found artifacts in exchange for financing provided by German cotton and textile magnate James Simon.
However, some dispute this framing of events. According to the Returning Heritage online resource, "the Egyptian state at that time retained a veto over all objects they felt were too important to leave the country." The report author Lewis McNaught noted that it was possible Borchardt was able to "misrepresent the importance" of the bust.
The demand for the return of the Nefertiti bust to Egypt is not new; it has been ongoing for a century. The first request for the return of the bust was made by the Egyptian government in 1924. Zahi Hawass's request is based on international agreements regarding the protection of cultural heritage, including the UNESCO Convention of 1970. He believes that the return of the bust would be a significant step in reclaiming Egypt's heritage.
Monica Hanna, an Egyptian archaeologist, has publicly called for the "decolonization of Egyptian archaeology." She questions the narrative of the bust being Egypt's ambassador to Berlin. Hanna told Deutsche Welle: "An ambassador entails a diplomatic exchange," asking if Egypt has received something major in return, such as "the crown of (Prussian monarch) Frederick the Great or a painting by Albrecht Dürer." She added, "I don't think we have. If you send an ambassador one way, he's a hostage." Hanna argues that the initiative to repatriate the bust of Nefertiti triggers resistance because it "would become a precedent that would pave the road for the return of many different objects taken under colonialism."
Zahi Hawass's petition is also calling for the return of the Rosetta Stone and the Dendera Zodiac, Egyptian antiquities held in Britain and France. The Rosetta Stone, on display in London's British Museum, is an ancient Egyptian stone bearing inscriptions in several languages and scripts, which served as the key to unlock the secrets of hieroglyphic writing. The Zodiac of Dendera is a giant stone diagram from a temple in Egypt dating to the mid-1st century B.C., and is currently hosted at the Louvre in Paris.
The issue of repatriating cultural artifacts has gained prominence in recent years. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation has acknowledged the presence of stolen colonial art in its collections, such as the Benin Bronzes. Some of the Benin Bronzes were returned to Nigeria from Germany in 2022.
The bust of Queen Nefertiti has become a major tourist attraction and a part of the popular consciousness in Berlin during its long exile. German officials insist the sculpture will stay in Berlin. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation believes the Nefertiti bust was obtained legally from Egypt after it was uncovered in the remains of the city of Amarna, the short-lived capital under Pharaoh Akhenaten, Nefertiti's husband. After Pharaoh Akhenaten died, the city of Amarna, which sits on the east bank of the Nile River, was abandoned in 1335 B.C.
Many ordinary individuals support Zahi Hawass's demands for the return of the Nefertiti bust to Egypt. However, there is concern about the statue being endangered if it returns, as some fear it could be subjected to mishandling, as happened with the mask of King Tutankhamun. There is also concern that the statue could be subjected to mishandling, as happened with the mask of King Tutankhamun.
As of now, the German authorities have not indicated any intention to return the bust. Stefan Müchler stated: "There is no restitution claim of the Egyptian government." It remains to be seen whether the growing public support for the petition will influence the German stance on the issue.
Sources: Deutsche Welle, Al Masry Al Youm,
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq