Ministry of Tourism

Ethiopia reclaims historical artefacts from Germany. The collection includes crowns, shields, and paintings all considered culturally and historically significant.

Twelve historical artefacts are back to Ethiopia after being in the possession of a German family for over a century. The artefacts, originally collected in the 1920s by Germany’s then-envoy to Ethiopia, Franz Weiss and his wife Hedwig, were handed over to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University.

The items were handed over to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies at Addis Ababa University, with Professor Ramon Wyss representing the Weiss family. Ethiopia’s Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa has praised the family for preserving and returning the artefacts, which will soon be accessible to the public for research and academic study.

The repatriation is part of a wider effort to restore cultural heritage that was looted during colonial rule.