The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) supports the statement by Göttingen Postkolonial and the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation, which strongly criticizes the closure of the Anthropological Collection at the University of Göttingen. The collection is scheduled to be closed in February 2026, even though there is still no human rights-compliant concept for dealing with the human remains stored there.
“The human remains stored in the Anthropological Collection were, for the most part, brought to Germany illegally during the colonial era. These are people who suffered violence, including victims of the genocide of the Ovaherero and Nama. Their descendants have an inalienable right to repatriation, dignity, and co-determination. Their ancestors are not research objects,” says Laura Mahler, STP Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa. “The planned closure without a secure repatriation concept is unworthy and perpetuates colonial injustice.”
According to a statement by Göttingen Postkolonial and the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation, there is no plan for the return of the remains, nor has it been clarified what will happen to essential documents that are indispensable for repatriation. Dismantling or disorderly relocation of the collections would make provenance research extremely difficult and hinder the search for relatives. In doing so, the university would be violating key international and national standards, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the German guidelines on colonial collections, recommendations of the Museum Association, and the 2025 coalition agreement.
The STP supports the demands of Göttingen Postkolonial and the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation: complete transparency about the future of the remains; a moratorium on closing the collection until a viable repatriation concept is in place; no movement or separation of the remains and associated artifacts; binding cooperation with the communities of origin; and a permanently funded research unit to conduct provenance research and oversee repatriation processes.
The STP urges the University of Göttingen to finally live up to its historical, ethical, and human rights responsibilities. The Anthropological Collection and the older Blumenbach skull collection contain over 1,300 human remains that were taken from graves during the colonial era or dehumanized after massacres and wars, among other things. Many have been in Göttingen for more than 200 years; they were exploited for racist research and robbed of their dignity.
This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at 65]G378o6DD6CA.
Contact: Laura Mahler, Advisor for Sub-Saharan Africa – 65]G378oC6=92>]=