The project "Provenance of Colonial-Era Collections from Togo" starts at the Staatliche Ethnographische Sammlungen Sachsen (SES)
The project "Provenance of Colonial-Era Collections from Togo in the Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden and the GRASSI Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig (SES)", funded by the German Lost Art Foundation, focused on the research of a selection of 700 items and photographs from the historical territory of Togo. They were acquired by or donated to the ethnological museums Dresden and Leipzig between 1899 and 1939. Their appropriation is related to the activities of German police troops, scientists, traders and colonial officials in Togo under German colonial rule from 1884 to 1914. The German colony "Togoland" comprised the territory of the present-day state of Togo as well as parts of present-day Ghana, which is why numerous items from today's Ghana are also part of the research.
More informationExhibition module
In March 2022, Ricarda Rivoir and Marlena Barnstorf-Brandes, in collaboration with the team of the project "Provenance of Colonial-Era Collections from Togo", curated one exhibition module within the Prep Room of the GRASSI Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig. The Prep Room is a space for experimental curating and research set up at the GRASSI Museum as part of its restructuration programme REINVENTING GRASS.SKD. Our aim was to give insight into the research processes and initial outcomes. We decided to exhibit a headgear from present-day Ghana that had been looted by the head of the colonial police force, Valentin von Massow (1864-1899) during a military campaign against the Dagbon kingdom in 1896. As a result of its violent appropriation, it layed in the depot for 123 years. We displayed it in its unrestored state, lying on a storeroom cardboard box, in order to draw attention to its history and to the difficult task of determining its provenance.
Public Talk
On the 28th of July 2022, Ricarda, Marlena and Friedrich von Bose, then head of research and exhibitions at the State Ethnographic Collections Saxony, gave a talk in the GRASSI museum's Prep Room titled "On the Origin of Colonial-Era Collections from Togo". Marlena Barnstorf-Brandes presented the project "Provenance of Colonial-Era Collections from Togo" and its interim research results. Ricarda Rivoir gave insights into her master research on an item called Gboɣno Zipligu, originating from the Dagbon kingdom in present-day Ghana.
Fellowship at GRASSI
In August 2022, Michael Gyimah participated in a fellowship at the GRASSI Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig that allowed him to explore the museum's holdings from Ghana. The engagement with the holdings allowed for further collaborations on a communal level with the society of origin in Yendi.
Exhibition: "Exhibiting Research - Exhibiting as Research: The Project in the 'Prep Room'"
In October 2022, Ricarda and Marlena curated an exhibition called "Exhibiting Research - Exhibiting as Research: The Project in the 'Prep Room'" together with Friedrich von Bose. Our aim was to inform visitors about the ongoing research of the project "Provenance of Colonial-Era Collections from Togo" as well as about the colonial history of Togo. We asked ourselves how both parts of museum work, exhibition and research can enrich each other. With the help of a map and corresponding profiles, the routes of colonizers are traced in an attempt to find out where the actors appropriated the items. The exhibition also focuses on items that were not taken in the context of looting, but which demonstrate the complexity of colonial violence, as well as the numerous meanings assigned to an item at different times in different contexts and by different people.
Series of Dialogues in Yendi, Ghana
In November 2022, Michael, Ricarda and Jan König traveled to Yendi. The aim was to trace the colonial context of the collection and, above all, to inform the community about the presence of the items in Germany and the possibility of restitution. They had pictures of the museum, the depot and pictures of items taken from Dagbon with them. They met over 150 representatives of the civil society in Yendi, among them the local historian and official Gonje of the Ya Na (King) Alhaji Alhassan Sulemana Iddi and his daughter Wiqaya Alhassan, Mr Iddrisu Mohammed Alimanche, the assemblyman of the municipality of Yendi, Kanbon Nakpemas family, youth and children's groups, women's groups, workers, groups of traditional leaders and other stakeholders. It became clear: Everyone, without exception, knew the story of the invasion of Dagbon and even children knew that the German military looted items and shipped them to Germany. Seeing the pictures, most reacted with grief, but also with clear demands for restitution, as well as pride at the prospect of soon having the items back in Yendi.
Panel Discussion on the 'Day of Provenance Research'
On the Day of Provenance Research on April 13, 2023, Michael and Ricarda reported on their research trip to Yendi in a panel discussion at the GRASSI Museum. The event was a success in terms of entering public space with our work and endeavors.
Michael and Sulemana started working on the Dagomba collection at GRASSI
In June 2023, Michael and Alhassan Sulemana started work on the museum's database on holdings from the Dagomba people. The aim was to mainly correct the epistemic errors in the database relative to names of items, functionality and categorization.
Conclusion of the Togo project
Also in June of 2023, the project "Provenance of Colonial-Era Collections from Togo" was successfully completed at the Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden and the GRASSI Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig. The team drew up a final report on the project's findings that was published in German, English and French open access on the edoc-server of the Humboldt-University Berlin.
Master thesis handed in!
After two years of activist research, Ricarda successfully completed her master's thesis "The itinerary of the Gboɣno Zipligu: Unpacking an Item of Colonial Plunder". Her thesis was one of the starting and core points of our shared research. Ricarda investigated the colonial entanglements of a headgear called Gboɣno Zipligu, that was looted during the German raid against Dagbon in 1896. In her thesis she used archival, curatorial and the people-centered research we did in Yendi, and explored the decolonial potential that can lie in a critical examination of this past.
Prep Room Workshop on the 'Day of Provenance Research'
On the 10th of April 2024, Jan, Ricarda and Marlena organized a workshop in the Prep Room where our research collective LinKnow (Linking Knowledge for Restitution) is going to be the new resident. Together with the participants, we went through the recorded audio files from the research trip in Yendi and cut out the audio traces that contained voices for restitution. These restitution claims will be collated into an audio installation in the Prep Room exhibition.
Annual Conference of Working Group "Colonial Provenances"
On the 27th of May, Marlena and Michael presented the plans of our collective LinKnow for a follow up project for the project "Provenances of the Colonial-Era Collections from Togo" at the GRASSI Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig, which puts a prime focus on items from Dagbon in modern-day Ghana.
First Open Prep Room from the LinKnow Research Collective
In June, our collective LinKnow started working in the Prep Room by putting up installations from our research trip to Yendi and working on our upcoming project; we will also engage with visitors of their exhibition on the topic of restitution and the latest on provenance research every 1st Tuesday of the month.
Publication of "Fifteen Colonial Thefts. A Guide to Looted African Heritage in Museums"
Together with Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan Iddi and Elias Aguigah, we wrote the chapter "The Plunder from 'Adibo Dali', and Why Looted Cultural Goods Need to Return to Dagbon" that is being published in the book "Fifteen Colonial Thefts" by Pluto Press.
