French university begins work to return human remains to Tanzania and Namibia

The scientific council of the University of Strasbourg will focus on the 110 human remains obtained during Germany’s colonisation of Africa prior to restitution to Namibia and Tanzania. © Alexandre Tatay/University of Strasbourg

The University of Strasbourg in north-east France has undertaken the task of verifying the origins of its collections of human skulls, bones and other remains that were collected in the wake of abuses under German colonial rule in Namibia and Tanzania. It comes as part of a restitution process demanded by both countries.

The University of Strasbourg has set up a scientific council whose task is to provide accurate information on the origins of the human remains in its collections, which date back to the colonisation of Africa under German and French rule.