A woman from Germany has returned a Greek artefact that she had stolen over five decades ago from the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The artefact, a limestone capital of an Ionic column, measuring approximately nine inches tall and 33.5 inches wide, was taken from the Leonidaion at Greece’s Olympia sanctuary dating back to the 4th century BC.
The Greek Ministry of Culture commended the woman for her “sensitivity and courage” in returning the ancient column, which she had kept since her visit in the 1960s. She handed over the artefact to the University of Münster in Germany, following the university’s successful repatriation efforts for other stolen objects.
Highlighting the University of Münster’s dedication to returning unlawfully trafficked items, the Greek ministry praised the institution as a reliable partner. Dr. Torben Schreiber, the curator of Münster’s Archaeological Museum, emphasized the importance of ethical actions, stating, “It is never too late to do what is right, ethical, and just.”
In recent years, the University of Münster has returned various stolen objects, including a Roman marble male head from Thessaloniki’s cemetery and the skull cup of Spyros Louis, the Olympic champion runner from the 1896 Athens Olympics.
A ceremony for the column’s repatriation took place in Olympia, where Greece’s General Secretary of Culture, George Didaskalou, described the event as a poignant moment. Didaskalou emphasized the significance of cultural cooperation, responsibility, and mutual respect in returning historical artefacts, noting that each repatriation serves as an act of justice and fosters friendship between nations.
The return of the column coincides with Greece’s continued efforts to retrieve the Parthenon Marbles, currently housed in the British Museum since the 19th century. The removal of the marbles by British Ambassador Lord Elgin from the Acropolis temple during Ottoman Empire rule remains a contentious issue between Greece and Britain.