With the opening of the new Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, there's revived debate over where the Parthenon marbles should be exhibited? The British Museum or the Acropolis Museum?
What's your take on it?
Reply to this Parthenon Marbles
Hello Sam 😊
I think they should be in the Acropolis Museum. The least the British government can do, to show good political intentions to the world and make up for past wrong doings is to hand them over.
Mel
Reply to this Good question Sam - there are so many plundered treasures from past adventures and misadventures - housed in various museums and private collections world-wide.
I think there is a strong argument that no individual should be allowed to own things that are important to a global cultural heritage that we share.
It could also be argued that the Marbles are in better condition due to being housed in the British Museum - than they would be had history been otherwise.
I think the world needs a body to arbitrate on issues like this - maybe something connected with the World Heritage Organisation - a group of impartial and educated people that have the good of our global collective culture and history as their primary concern - to decide when items should be returned.
It's clear now, at least to me, that in this case the decision should be to return the marbles - they would be well housed in the purpose built museum and close to their original location.
Reply to this As Ali says the museums of the world are full of artifacts that were obtained through arguably dubious means. Why all the focus on the Elgin marbles?
I don't understand the lack of pressure on say the French to return the Parthenon marbles that they hold in the Louvre, or the Danes to return the marbles they hold in Copenhagen. People jumping on the bandwagon I suggest.
As for this being "the least the British government can do" - this seems a strange position to me. Exactly what wrong doings would our government atone for in returning the Elgin marbles?
Reply to this I don't understand the lack of pressure on say the French to return the Parthenon marbles that they hold in the Louvre, or the Danes to return the marbles they hold in Copenhagen.
If they are also holding these things, I think there will be pressure on them too. But, this discussion is about the ones being held in the British museum.....
Exactly what wrong doings would our government atone for in returning the Elgin marbles?
What I mean is that if Britian wants to now consider itself to be a modern democratic country and not the colonising country it used to be, it has to behave in a fair way. The British government should give the Elgin Marbles to the Acropolis museum, because they are part of Greek history. It would be unreasonable to expect Britian to make up for certain parts of world history they are responsible for because that is not possible, but gestures such as giving back the Parthenon marbles are.
Reply to this People jumping on the bandwagon I suggest.
I dont think there is a bandwagon. This is just a very contraversial topic and the British government just happen to be involved in it.
Reply to this It could also be argued that the Marbles are in better condition due to being housed in the British Museum - than they would be had history been otherwise.
I think that's a really good point, never really thought of it that way, but it's certainly true. With weather and climate changes, the Marbles could very well have deteriorated. But now that there's a museum built for the Marbles, I also think they should be returned to Athens, where they truly belong.
Why all the focus on the Elgin marbles?
The focus is always shifting, it just so happens that right now it's been on the marbles.
Reply to this I think the British government has the funds to maintain the monuments wherever they came from. For sure, such things should not be returned to countries which do not have the means or the will to preserve them, but I dont think this is the case with Greece. They even have a special museum for the purpose.
So, who is actually going to decide where the Elgin marbles are going to be? Anyone have any information about this?
Reply to this Ultimately, the British Government will decide whether or not they are returned, since it was the British Government who paid Elgin for them. I suspect that as with every such subject, the Elgin marbles will only be returned if there's something that the British Government can get from Greece as a quid pro quo.
Reply to this Ultimately, the British Government will decide whether or not they are returned, ....
Does anyone have a news blog, to confirm this?
Reply to this I suspect that as with every such subject, the Elgin marbles will only be returned if there's something that the British Government can get from Greece as a quid pro quo.
I find it difficult to believe that they would demand something in return for handing over the Elgin Marbles, especially since it is questionable whether they should have been a allowed to buy them in the first place. So, what would they expect to get from Greece in exchange? Another priceless Greek statue maybe?
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