“Missionary ‘Collecting’ in Colonial Contexts – Aspects of the Relationship between Mission and Colonialism“ | Colloquium Provenance Research

The event was held in English language.

Since the 15th century, Catholic and Protestant missionary movements contributed to the worldwide spread of Christianity. In many cases, the establishment of European colonial rule also relied on their support. Against the background of the ongoing debate about cultural and collection goods from colonial contexts, a discussion about the relationship between mission and colonialism has also gained momentum. As recent research shows, missionaries often supported the acquisition activities of ethnological museums and anthropological collections. Several thousands of objects from missionary contexts can be found in German museums. These collections are material testimonies, both of the mission history and of the often violent suppression of local religious practices. In this discussion, we will try to approach the topic of missionary "collecting" from different disciplinary and thematic perspectives, based on examples from the Americas, West Africa, Papua New Guinea and Scandinavia.

Participants were:

• Dr. Ohiniko Mawussé Toffa (Universität Leipzig)
• Dr. Eeva-Kristiina Nylander (Museum Europäischer Kulturen)
• Dr. Gabriele Richter (Universität Bremen)
• Dr. Markus Scholz (Institut für Weltkirche und Mission, Hochschule St. Georgen)

Moderation: Dr. Jan Hüsgen (German Lost Art Foundation)