Research projects on the provenance of human remains from colonial contexts

The “Sensitive Provenances” project

Human remains from colonial contexts in the collections of the University of Göttingen.

The aim of the research project was to explore ways of potentially repatriating human remains to former colonial territories. Visiting researchers from Cameroon, Tanzania, New Zealand, Fiji and Palau conducted research on around 100 of the total of 1,800 “human remains” currently held in the Blumenbach Skull Collection and the Historical Anthropology Collection at the University of Göttingen.

Provenance research in the anthropological collections of the University of Göttingen and at MARKK Hamburg

The University of Göttingen and MARKK – Museum am Rothenbaum: Cultures and Arts of the World in Hamburg jointly investigated the provenance of human remains originating from formerly colonized regions. The research project focused on skeletal remains that had been held as part of the so-called “Anthropological Collection” at the former Museum of Ethnology in Hamburg, now MARKK, from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Following the dissolution of the department in the early 1950s, the collection was transferred to the University of Göttingen in several stages.

According to current knowledge, 57 human remains remained at MARKK. These were investigated alongside the holdings in Göttingen in order to facilitate discussions concerning their potential repatriation.

Repatriation of Human Remains

Thanks to the contacts and partnerships established through the projects, a number of successful repatriations of human remains to their countries of origin have already been carried out:

• Hawai’i (2022) – Press release
• New Zealand / Aotearoa (2023) – Press release
• Palau (2024) – Press release
• Marshall Islands (2025) – Press release

Press reports

New Zealand

• Gebeine von Ureinwohnern an Neuseeland zurückgegeben – WELT

Palau

• Historiker über Gebeine in Uni-Archiven: „In den Kolonien gestohlen“ | taz.de
• Grabraub – Gebeine an Palau zurückgegeben – Bitte um Entschuldigung | SZ.de
• Uni Göttingen gibt Gebeine an die Republik Palau zurück | ndr.de

Marshall Islands

• Uni Göttingen: Schädel an Marshallinseln zurückgegeben | ndr.de
• In Kolonialzeit entwendet - Gebeine an Marshallinseln zurückgeben - Politik - SZ.de