Maka representatives in Freiburg

Badische Zeitung reports: Maka demand the repatriation of their ancestors
 

Andreas Mehler accompanied a delegation from Cameroon on their visit to the University of Freiburg
 

Five skulls from the Alexander Ecker Collection, one of the largest anthropological collections in the German-speaking region, come from members of the Maka. They are an ethnic group in southern Cameroon. The collection is located at the University of Freiburg.

The skulls are Maka who were killed in the fight against German colonial rule and, according to Andreas Mehler, "became part of a collection" and were  "objectified and dehumanised". With their visit to Germany, the Maka delegation confirmed an official request for restitution - a first step on the way to repatriation.

The delegation's trip was accompanied and supported by the Africa Center for Transregional Research (ACT) at the University of Freiburg. It was the result of exploratory research among the Maka and Omvang communities in Eastern Cameroon in August 2024, conducted by a team led by Professor Dr. Albert Gouaffo (University of Dschang) on behalf of the ACT.

The BZ report can be read on the BZ website (paywall).

Additionally, the University of Freiburg published a report on the visit and the reappraisal of the University's colonial past.