At times, seemingly obvious and simple actions expose fundamental contradictions. This is true of the postcolonial situation that exists between Namibia and Germany. In the course of the first restitution by a German state entity of objects looted from its former colony, unexpected conflicts, pitfalls, controversies and in particular, postcolonial entanglements became apparent. In the following, I shall endeavour to reconstruct the first experience of restitution of cultural goods acquired by a German institution in a colonial context; as this points to some fundamental issues regarding the postcolonial state and the specific postcolonial situation of Namibia, these will be addressed as vital dimensions of the germane experience that is at the core of this contribution. As justified and necessary as restitutions are, they can still in no way undo the impact and consequences of colonialism. It can even be said that such consequences become re-articulated in fresh conflicts on the ground.
