Posted by: Karyn Gregory
Museums can easily find themselves steeped in edgy issues due to their status as public institutions. Since the museum field has plenty of debates raging, we felt it only proper to talk about some of them in our new series: Better Know a Controversy.
One of the oldest and most painstaking issues out there is an international cultural repatriation issue: The Elgin Marbles. Ever since the Greek government requested their return in 1983, the Marbles have found their way back into the media limelight and are certainly a hot topic these days. Just last week I was watching a repeat episode of Law & Order:SVU and there was a mention of them during an interrogation scene! If you've never heard of this 200 year old (and still going strong!) debate, you can find more about it here.
Essentially, back in 1806, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, and his team removed large segments of the Parthenon in Athens, took them back to London, and later sold them to the British Museum. Elgin only had permission from the Ottomans, not the Greeks, for the removal, and so many people consider the Marbles to be stolen. However, the British Museum does not agree and has openly declared that there is no intent to return the artifacts to Athens. Honestly, it's much, much more complicated than that, but the Wiki article explains it well.
Here's where our loyal readership comes in--light up the comments and let us know your thoughts on the matter: Should the Elgin Marbles be returned or not? We always welcome a friendly debate!
- Karyn
