Restitution der Würde?
Human Remains – Kolonialismus – Menschlichkeit
Workshop
June 2–3, 2025
Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut, Freiburg, Germany
The interdisciplinary workshop “Restitution der Würde? Human Remains – Kolonialismus – Menschlichkeit” at the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institut brought together scholars from diverse fields to examine the colonial legacy of anthropological collections and the ethical, political, and philosophical implications of the restitution of human remains.
The workshop was organized by a project of the same name under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Nadja Germann, Prof. Dr. Albert Gouaffo, and Dr. Balz Andrea Alter.
At the heart of the workshop stood the dual thematic focus on restitution and polylogue as both practical and conceptual responses to colonial violence. Only in recent years has their provenance been clearly established: they belonged to members of the Maka communities in eastern Cameroon. From the outset, the project rejected a narrow understanding of restitution as merely the physical return of remains. In a context shaped by the trauma of colonialism, restitution must be understood more broadly—as an effort to seek remedy or repair. Not simply for a single act of violence, but for an entire web of disrupted and damaged relationships—between people in Freiburg and in places like Bertoua in Cameroon. Restitution, then, calls for a new ethics of human relations.
Restitution and the Ethics of Remembrance
The workshop opened with a welcome by Andreas Mehler and introductory remarks by Nadja Germann and Albert Gouaffo. Germann framed the concept of restitution in conjunction with the method of the polylogue as a philosophical experiment aiming to contribute to a “new ethics of relation.” Her reflection emphasized that restitution must not be reduced to the physical return of objects or remains but must entail the reparation of deeply damaged interhuman relations.
In this context, Albert Gouaffo (Yaoundé) proposed understanding restitution as a threefold process: logistical repatriation, symbolic restoration of dignity, and material compensation for historical injustice. His contribution underlined the role of restitution as a transnational paradigm for reconfiguring colonial memory.
Subsequent contributions detailed the legal, institutional, and political dimensions of restitution: Mikael Assilkinga reconstructed the provenance and ongoing repatriation of remains from the University of Göttingen’s collections; Richard Tsogang Fossi highlighted the role of colonial justice in dehumanizing the dead; Maryse Nsangou assessed the ambivalent role of cultural diplomacy; and Clément Ndé Fongang contextualized current reparations debates through the perspective of Kwame Anthony Appiah’s philosophy.
Polylogue as Philosophical Method: Contributions from the GloPhi Center
A dedicated panel on the second day of the workshop foregrounded the concept of polylogue as an intercultural-philosophical practice. Members of the Center for Advanced Studies “Philosophizing in a Globalized World” contributed to this discussion through both theoretical elaborations and methodological reflections.
Anke Graness introduced the historical and conceptual foundations of the term “polylogue” as developed by Franz Wimmer, emphasizing its orientation towards multi-perspectival exchange and its potential to overcome Eurocentric frameworks in philosophy.
Abbed Kanoor discussed the Center’s adoption of polylogue as a transformative approach to philosophizing, emphasizing its grounding in encounter, attentive listening, and openness. This shift foregrounds the dialogical event of exchange, which relies on key conditions such as ethical listening, openness to others, and a spirit of intellectual curiosity.
Monika Rohmer extended the debate by addressing the role of multilingualism, advocating for a polylogue that is not only intercultural but also interlingual, thus confronting the often-unquestioned linguistic biases in academic discourse.
Abosede Ipadeola delineated the epistemic and ethical prerequisites of a successful philosophical polylogue. Drawing on the work of Wimmer and Hsueh-i Chen, she emphasized the need for an open, non-centrist, and critically engaged atmosphere in order to make space for genuine intercultural understanding.
These contributions demonstrated that polylogue is not a neutral framework but a situated, demanding, and politically charged practice of thought that can aid in addressing complex legacies of violence and marginalization.