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The Greek people and government are capable of caring for their own cultural heritage

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The Greek people and government are capable of caring for their own cultural heritage

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Greek people deserve the financial benefit for their own historical objects

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Greek people deserve the financial benefit for their own historical objects

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Link to historical context is important for meaningfulness of display

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Link to historical context is important for meaningfulness of display

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BM Gallery Leaflet

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A new Brexit mandate could force Britain to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

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A new Brexit mandate could force Britain to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

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Britain's ownership of the Parthenon Marbles may be the latest casualty in the Brexit trade negotiations, according to a new clause in the European Union's negotiating mandate. The clause, which was included as early as last week at the request of Greek officials, stipulates that for the United Kingdom to continue trading with the EU, the British government must "address issues relating to the return or restitution of unlawfully removed cultural objects to their countries of origin." Officials from both countries have interpreted the legislation as a direct reference to the classical Greek marble works known alternatively as the Parthenon Marbles or the Elgin Marbles, which currently reside at the British Museum in London, although Bloomberg reports that a Greek official said the clause refers more broadly to stolen paintings that turn up in London auctions.

The marbles, which were taken from the Parthenon in Athens in the early 19th century by the visiting Earl of Elgin, have been a source of conflict between the two countries for decades, with the British government steadfastly refusing any attempts at repatriation. Greek officials are hopeful about this attempt, though. Last month, the Greek culture minister Lina Mendoni told Reuters that "the right conditions have been created for their permanent return," due to Britain's attempts to distance itself from the rest of Europe.

The Elgin Marbles are the latest example of the Brexit trade negotiations being used as a way for countries to air their grievances with the U.K. Spain has asked the country to forfeit the territory of Gibraltar, located at the tip of the Iberian peninsula, and France has demanded updated conditions on fishing rights.

A spokeswoman for the British government has said that the UK has no plans to return the marbles, according to ARTnews. The statement said the sculptures are "the legal responsibility of the British Museum," and their ownership is not up for discussion.

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EU Adds Parthenon Marbles Repatriation Mandate to Brexit Negotiations

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Britain's ownership of the Parthenon Marbles may be the latest casualty in the Brexit trade negotiations, according to a new clause in the European Union's negotiating mandate.

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George Clooney wades into Parthenon Marbles debate—again

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George Clooney wades into Parthenon Marbles debate—again

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The Art Newspaper GARETH HARRIS

8th March 2021

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The actor George Clooney has again voiced his support for returning the 2,500-year-old Parthenon Marbles to Greece. His comments have stoked the long-standing debate over reunification of the works, which have been housed at the British Museum in London since the early 17th century.

According to theGreek newspaper Ta Nea, Clooney recently told Janet Suzman-the chair of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles-that "the Parthenon Sculptures must be returned to their original owner".

Suzman confirmed to The Art Newspaper that Clooney made the comments (the actor could not be reached for comment at the time of writing). Earlier this year, Clooney wrote to Suzman, saying: "There are a lot of historical artefacts that should be returned to their original owners, but none more important than the Parthenon Marbles."

During a trip to Berlin in February 2014 to promote the film The Monuments Men, Clooney stated that the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece. "It is the right thing to do," he said. The actor's comments drew criticism from Boris Johnson, the then mayor of London, who said Clooney was "advocating nothing less than the Hitlerian agenda for London's cultural treasures". At the time, Clooney's wife, the human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, was advising Greece on the return of the marbles.

The fifth-century-BC statues have been housed in the British Museum since 1816 after they were removed from the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens by the Scottish nobleman Lord Elgin, the then Ottoman ambassador.

In an online statement, the trustees of the British Museum say that Elgin acted with the full knowledge and permission of the legal authorities of the day in both Athens and London. "The sculptures on display in London convey huge public benefit as part of the museum's worldwide collection," they add. The statement reiterates that the trustees have never been asked for a loan of the Parthenon sculptures by Greece, "only for the permanent removal of all of the sculptures in its care to Athens".

Last year, concerns were raised over whether the ancient Greek sculptures would be used as a bargaining chip in Brexit negotiations.

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George Clooney wades into Parthenon Marbles debate-again

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The actor George Clooney has again voiced his support for returning the 2,500-year-old Parthenon Marbles to Greece. His comments have stoked the long-standing debate over reunification of the works, which have been housed at the British Museum in London since the early 17th century.

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List at least 5 arguments in favour of relocating the Parthenon Sculptures to the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

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List at least 5 arguments in favour of relocating the Parthenon Sculptures to the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

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List at least 5 arguments in favour of the Parthenon Sculptures remaining at the British Museum.

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List at least 5 arguments in favour of the Parthenon Sculptures remaining at the British Museum.

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What is a Universal Museum?

What words do you associate with the idea of a universal museum?

Are Universal Museums still relevant in the 21st century?
What is the enlightenment and how does it relate to the idea of the universal museum?

Is it really necessary/possible to bring dispersed museums objects back together in order to appreciate them?

Are the displays created for the Parthenon Sculptures at the Acropolis Museum, Athens, better/more effective/more authentic than the displays created for them in the British Museum?

How should we consider this issue in relation to cultural repatriations more broadly - e.g. the repatriation of indigenous materials held in many museums?