Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) in Vienna has announced plans to return two pieces of the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece.
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias took to Twitter to express his pleasure after meeting with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, to discuss the return of two Parthenon fragments currently held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Dendias emphasized the significance of this development, stating that “This for us is of huge importance.”
The Museum owns only two small fragments from the Parthenon, but this repatriation comes at a critical time for Greece as the nation seeks to reunite the remaining pieces of the frieze that once wrapped the Parthenon Temple.
In a news conference on May 2, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg announced that the Kunsthistorisches Museum is in “technical discussions” with the Acropolis Museum about mutual loans of the Parthenon frieze. “I am very hopeful that the talks can move on very quickly and the marbles will be on display in Athens,” Schallenberg said.
While the repatriation deals with Sicily and the Vatican are minor, Greece hopes Austria’s move will reignite repatriation talks with Britain. For decades, Greece has asked for the Parthenon Sculptures to be returned, but Britain has failed to meet Greece’s and the Greek Diaspora’s requests. The Parthenon Marbles were stolen from the Parthenon temple by the Scottish nobleman Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, between 1801 and 1805, with the acquiescence of Greece’s occupying Ottoman rulers.
In recent months, the Greece and Britain have engaged in discussions about a potential deal, but that remains far off, according to recent reports. Greek officials believe that with each agreement to return pieces to Athens, there will be growing positive momentum in talks on returning pieces kept elsewhere.
The common goal, said Schallenberg, is to contribute to the “understanding of its universal significance for European cultural heritage.”