Friday, April 22, 2005
Mussolini's Legacy Undone
A lingering consequence of Il Duce's greatest crime, the brutal invasion of Ethiopia, is in the process of being redressed. During the 1935 invasion, Italian troops stole an ancient Ethiopian monument: a 24m tall obelisk situated in the ancient city of Axum. Despite a postwar UN resolution (in 1947), Italy hung onto the relic. In 2002, it was struck by lightning, enraging Ethiopians who had demanded its return for decades.
Now it's finally happening. Transporting this 160 ton object is no small feat, but its return will mark a form of redress for the crimes committed seven decades ago.
There is the prospect that this action will set a precedent for other countries to demand the return of relics - Greece might demand the Elgin marbles back (and they probably should get them). One need not condemn the treasure hunters of earlier eras as craven looters, though. Ottoman Greece did not offer good prospects for preservation - consider what happened to the Parthenon. More recently, consider what befell treasures in the Iraqi and Afghan national museums. The verdict here has to be mixed: it's a good thing that Ethiopia is getting its relic back, but the holders of other treasures are still entitled to ask whether historical treasures are better off in their host countries or their countries of origin.
Now it's finally happening. Transporting this 160 ton object is no small feat, but its return will mark a form of redress for the crimes committed seven decades ago.
There is the prospect that this action will set a precedent for other countries to demand the return of relics - Greece might demand the Elgin marbles back (and they probably should get them). One need not condemn the treasure hunters of earlier eras as craven looters, though. Ottoman Greece did not offer good prospects for preservation - consider what happened to the Parthenon. More recently, consider what befell treasures in the Iraqi and Afghan national museums. The verdict here has to be mixed: it's a good thing that Ethiopia is getting its relic back, but the holders of other treasures are still entitled to ask whether historical treasures are better off in their host countries or their countries of origin.
