The Aksum Obelisk which was recently re-erected in its original spot has experienced a decade long and torturous path to finally return from its Roman exile. Prof. Pankhurst enlightens us with some fascinating details on this epic achievement in national heritage restitution…
Archive for the ‘Restitution’ Category
Thoughts on the re-erection of the Aksum obelisk
Posted in Aksum obelisk, Italy, Restitution on September 22, 2008| Leave a Comment »
The Aksum obelisk and the people of Kenya
Posted in Aksum obelisk, Italy, Restitution on August 25, 2008| Leave a Comment »
The return and re-erection of the looted Aksum Obelisk marks a milestone of great significance not only for Ethiopian history, but also as an inspiration for increased momentum across Africa for the restitution of looted heritage items. This week’s ‘Corner reflects on how the return of the Aksum Obelisk is galvanizing African nations, including Nigeria and Kenya…
Ethiopian loot discussed
Posted in Aksum obelisk, Italy, Restitution, The Maqdala loot on August 11, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Now that Italy has returned the looted Aksum Obleisk, there is added pressure on especially the authorities of the British Library and the British Museum to repatriate a large trove of manuscripts, artifacts and up to a dozen ‘tabots’, replicas of the Ark of the Covenant- sacred to Ethiopians. This week’s Corner, sheds more light on the issue, as well as providing a fascinating yet rather sad portrayal of certain glorification of war crimes and war criminals of the Fascist era in Italy …
Personal memories of the Aksum obelisk issue (Part 3)
Posted in Aksum obelisk, Italy, Restitution on July 28, 2008| Leave a Comment »
This week’s corner concludes Professor Pankhurst’s three part series on the events, personalities and collective effort behind the successful repatriation of the Obelisk from Italy. The Ethiopisant scholar however, ends this article in tantalizing manner…
Personal memories of the Aksum obelisk issue (Part 2)
Posted in Aksum obelisk, Italy, Restitution on July 16, 2008| Leave a Comment »
The historian continues the series relating to the events surrounding the return from Rome of the Aksum Obelisk, looted and transported in 1937. In this edition, Professor Pankhurst reveals an as yet untold display of staunch solidarity with Ethiopia’s right of restitution by Chief Segun Ulusola, the then Ambassador to Ethiopia of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as the esteemed emissaries of Zimbabwe, Egypt and others, including prominent Ethiopians and the crowd at Addis Ababa Stadium…
Personal recollections of the Aksum obelisk issue: Early days
Posted in Aksum obelisk, Italy, Restitution on June 30, 2008| Leave a Comment »
This first in a series of articles about what must be rated as one of Ethiopia’s most successful, wholly unofficial and private initiative led grouping – the Aksum Obelisk Return Committee is timely…. Even as we speak, the returned obelisk is being re-mounted on the same spot it had stood on for centuries before it was carted away to a forced exile…..
Today, let’s talk of tents
Posted in Restitution, The Maqdala loot on April 21, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Historically the courts of Ethiopian royalty moved around the length and breadth of Ethiopia as they engaged in defending the nation from insurrection and invasion. Tents therefore, were an indispensable item to serve as shelters until the monarch and his courtiers could return to their built up palaces and castles. Two particular tents which belonged to Emperor Tewodros, are featured in this week’s Pankhurst’s Corner, along with a reminder in this Ethiopian millennium year. That they must be repatriated…
A tour of Italian archives on Ethiopia
Posted in Italy, Restitution on April 7, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Today, dear Reader, I will take you on a tour of some Italian and Ethiopian archives.
Let us start in perhaps the easiest way by looking at the UNESCO-sponsored Guide to the Sources of the History of Africa, more especially the volume on Italian-sources: the Guida delle Fonti per la Storia dell’ Africa a Sud del Sahara esistenti in Italia.
It was edited by my old friend Professor Carlo Giglio, once a Fascist, but by my day far less committed –and a great conversationalist. The volume was published in 1973 by the Inter Documentation Company, of Zug, in Switzerland, and is in itself an important source.
Ethiopia’s historic heritage and the struggle for its preservation (Part 2)
Posted in Conservation, Manuscripts, Restitution on February 25, 2008| Leave a Comment »
Pankhurst’s Corner continues this week on the theme of heritage preservation, highlighting the nation’s precious trove of rare manuscripts. The professor illuminates us on efforts underway in various initiatives, to maintain and establish the repositories of Ethiopian antiquity.
Why some Maqdala books were torn up
Posted in Manuscripts, Restitution, The Maqdala loot on November 19, 2007| Leave a Comment »
A grievous and perhaps unforgivable consequence of war is the senseless looting and plunder that victorious armies perpetrate on what is to the rampaging solider, ‘spoils of war’, but to the defeated side the very essence of their civilization and heritage. Magdalla – or to use Professor Pankhurst’s spelling Maqdalla – is remembered not only for the martyrdom of Emperor Teodros but also as an instance of cultural genocide on a mass scale. Welcome to Pankhurst’s Corner!
Richard Pankhurst 