Germany to return Benin Bronzes

GERMANY is returning hundreds of artifacts known as the Benin Bronzes that were mostly looted from west Africa by a British colonial expedition and subsequently sold to collections around the world, including German museums, authorities said.

Foreign minister Heiko Maas welcomed a deal reached with museums and authorities in Nigeria to work on a restitution plan for a substantial number of artifacts, calling it a “turning point in dealing with our colonial history”.