Voluntary restitution of cultural property
In collaboration with the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Grisons, the Swiss Federal Office of Culture returned two ancient cultural objects to the Greek embassy in Bern. The fragment of an Ionic capital originally from the Agora of Corinth and the fragment of an inscription originally from Kos, both belong to the Greek cultural heritage.
The official restitution ceremony took place on 23 January 2024 at the Federal Office of Culture in Bern and was attended by delegates from the Swiss Federal Office of Culture, the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Grisons, the Greek embassy and the Greek Ministry of Culture.
This voluntary restitution is in accordance with the Cultural Property Transfer Act (CPTA) and the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which protects cultural heritage from looting and illicit transfer. In the event of voluntary restitution by third parties, the Federal Office of Culture may act as an intermediary between the current owner and the foreign government in order to facilitate relations between the parties and organise the restitution to the State of origin.
This restitution represents a successful example of the impact of initiatives to raise public awareness about the need to protect cultural heritage and demonstrates the importance of international collaboration within the framework of the 1970 UNESCO Convention.