Germany returned two Indigenous Kogi masks to Colombia on Friday, part of European nations’ reevaluation of their colonial past.

Returning artifacts: The wooden “sun masks,” dating back to the mid-15th century, were handed over during Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visit to Berlin.
* The decision to restitute them follows years of contact between Berlin’s museum authority and Colombia.
* German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier highlighted the importance of the masks to the Kogi people, who live in northern Colombia.

Colonial reappraisal: European countries, including Germany, have increasingly sought to resolve ownership disputes over colonial-era looted objects.
* Last year, Germany and Nigeria signed an agreement for the return of hundreds of artifacts known as the Benin Bronzes.

Complex background: Hermann Parzinger, head of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, noted the Kogi masks’ acquisition background.
* They were not stolen violently and were bought from the heir of a Kogi priest who was not entitled to sell them.
* However, a 2007 U.N. resolution supports the return of artifacts of spiritual and cultural significance to Indigenous groups.

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