A German woman recently returned the top of an ancient Greek column that she stole over 50 years ago. The 2,400-year-old artefact was stolen from the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Greece’s Ministry of Culture dubbed the woman’s decision as an act of “sensitivity and courage.”
As per the details shared by the ministry, the woman stole a 9–inch by 13–inch piece of limestone column from the Leonidaion, a building in Ancient Olympia, in the 1960s during a visit to the area.
In an official repatriation ceremony held on October 10, the woman returned the artefact.
What Motivated Her?
As per the ministry, the woman was motivated to return the relic after she heard of the other relics being returned. She was inspired by the university’s recent restitution
of looted antiquities. She contacted the University of Münster in her home country so that they could help facilitate the return.
Greece’s Ministry of Culture shared a post on social media and said, “Motivated by the recent return of important antiquities from the University of Muenster to their countries of origin, she decided to hand it over to the university, with whose valuable contribution it returned to Greece and Ancient Olympia”, the ministry said, hailing the “sensitivity and courage” of the woman.
Culture Secretary General Georgios Didaskalos said, “This act proves that culture and history know no borders but require cooperation, responsibility, and mutual respect. Every such return is an act of restoring justice and at the same time a bridge of friendship between peoples.”
The return marks the third major artefact the University of Münster in Germany has sent back to Greece in recent years.
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