Germany Returns a 120‑Year‑Old Goddess to Cameroon
Berlin announced that it will hand back the Ngonnso statue, a revered goddess whose portrait was taken from Cameroon over a century ago. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation confirmed the move as part of a larger push to return colonial‑era artifacts around the globe.
The Ngonnso Return
The statue, known as Ngonnso, is slated for delivery to the Nso kingdom in north‑western Cameroon. According to the foundation, German colonial officer Kurt von Pavel stole the piece in 1903 and donated it to Berlin’s Ethnological Museum.
- “Bring Back Ngonnso” – A grassroots campaign that has been asking for the statue’s repatriation for years.
- NGONSSO as Mother Deity – In Nso culture the goddess is considered a mother figure central to their identity.
- “Irritation, not looting” – The statue wasn’t seized during wartime pillaging but was taken in the presence of armed soldiers, making its removal forced but not a war loot.
The foundation also announced it’ll send 23 other artifacts back to Namibia and is working on an agreement to repatriate objects to Tanzania.
Why Germany’s History Matters
While Germany’s colonial legacy has long been eclipsed by the horrors of World II and the Holocaust, this new step shows it’s taking a fresh look at its pre‑WWI past. The country was once a Major colonial player—third only to Britain and France—though its colonies vanished after the war.
Last year, Germany pledged to return Benin bronzes to Nigeria and issued a formal apology for atrocities committed against the Herero and Nama peoples in Namibia. Yet many of its museums still house fascinating relics—like the Babylon Gate’s fragments at Berlin’s Pergamon Museum.
Statement from the Foundation
Foundation President Hermann Parzinger explained that the value of an artifact isn’t solely determined by how it was taken. He said:
“If an object holds special or spiritual importance to its community of origin, that alone can justify its return.”
— Hermann Parzinger
How the Nso People React
Prince Mbinglo Gilles Yumo Nyuydzewira smiled when he heard the news, saying:
“After more than 120 years, we’re joyous. This moment bridges us back to our ancestral roots with love and unity.”
— Mbinglo Yumo Nyuydzewira
He added that reuniting with Ngonnso feels both Spiritual and ancestral, a true moment for the Nso dynasty.
