International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures

David Hill, the chair of the International Association, spoke recently alongside Anthony Snodgrass of the British Committee, at a successful debate at the Cambridge Union.

Cambridge debates Elgin Marbles

By Europe correspondent Jane Hutcheon

Posted Sun Feb 24, 2008 1:32pm AEDT

Cambridge University has debated the contentious issue of returning the Parthenon Sculptures, otherwise known as the Elgin Marbles, to Greece.

The statues were removed in the early 1800s by Britain's ambassador to Athens, Lord Elgin.

Until now, Britain has declined to return the relics, despite public opinion supporting the move.

Chairing the debate at Cambridge was the president of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, David Hill.

He says the Association won the debate 114 to 46.

"Which was a really delightful result, but not altogether that surprising because despite the conservative nature of the university," he said.

"That sort of outcome's pretty consistent with all of the evidence of public opinion in Britain about the return of the Parthenon Sculptures."

The British Museum says keeping the marbles in the UK has afforded them significant protection over the years, but Mr Hill rejects that claim.

"It's an offensive argument that the British Museum have pushed - that Elgin saved the marbles," he said.

"It's utter nonsense. Elgin only took half the collection; the other half remained on the Parthenon. Particularly, the famous west frieze of the Parthenon.

"And if you now compare the condition of the west frieze, which remained in Athens, with the British Museum's collection that they got from Elgin, the material in Greece is in better condition."

'Colonial booty'

Mr Hill says the issue of repatriating the marbles affects relations between the UK and Greece.

"The Greeks are very fractious people," he said.

"[But] they all agree on this; that the marbles should go back. But at the same time, they have a traditional friendship with Britain and they don't want to prejudice that friendship."

He says Australia can understand how the Greeks feel.

"It's interesting that the level of awareness about the Parthenon Sculptures is probably higher in Australia than any other country in the world except Britain and Greece," he said.

"The British keeping hold of their colonial booty really offends the Australian sense of fairness."

Mr Hill says Australia has led the way in campaigning for the return of national artefacts. He says he thinks the British Museum will only return the marbles when the British Government tells the Museum to send them back.

"Something similar has happened involving Australia," he said.

"Eight years ago, [former Australian prime minister] John Howard and [former British prime minister] Tony Blair issued a statement about the desirability of the British Museum's returning sacred Aboriginal human remains.

"Now the British Museum was totally opposed to that, but because of the public commitment of the British Government, after several years of bureaucratic process, in 2006 the British Museum returned the first of the human remains to Tasmania."

You can read the original article on the ABC's website 

An article on Brazilian initiatives to reunite the Parthenon sculptures in Athens has been covered by Jornal do Brasil, a national newspaper in Brazil.
An electronic copy of the article can be read on the newspaper's website here:
Brasileiros em Defesa do Partenon

NEWS UPDATE
May 6, 2006

Today it was announced that The Brazilian Committee the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles has joined the International Association for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures.

The Chairman of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, David Hill said he welcomed the addition of such and esteemed group to the international campaign. The Executive of the Brazilian committee includes

Emeritus President: Jacyntho Lins Brandao, Professor of Greek Literature, Federal University of Minas Gerais.

President: Tereza Virginia Ribeiro Barbosa, Professor of Greek Literature, Federal University of Minas Gerais.

Vice President: Celina Figueiredo Lage, Translator of Greek Literature and Independent researcher.

Secretary: Antonio Martinez de Rezende, Professor of Latin Language, Federal University of Minas Gerais

Treasurer: Imaculada Maria Guimaraes Kangussu, Professor of Philosophy, Federal University of Ouro Preto

Brazil joins other nations as Members of the International Association including Australia, Belgium, Britain, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Spain, Sweden and the USA.

Contact details for the Brazilian Committee can be found on their members page

NEWS UPDATE
May 4, 2006

The International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures today welcomed the tabling of a motion in the British House of Commons calling for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures from London to Athens.

The Early Day Motion has been tabled by Eddie O'Hara, M.P. on May 3, 2006. Eddie O'Hara has been an active and dedicated campaigner for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures for many years.

The motion reads;

That this House welcomes the establishment of the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures, a federation of national associations from around the world which share the goal of reuniting the world's surviving Parthenon sculptures in the new Acropolis Museum in Athens; agrees that the Parthenon is one of the world's finest surviving ancient monuments as attested by its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; further agrees that over 100 pieces of the sculptures and architectural elements of the Parthenon currently on display in the Duveen Gallery of the British Museum are exhibited in a spurious configuration divorced from their proper architectural and compositional context; further agrees that the continued insistence of the British Museum that the sculptures should remain in London is at odds with British and world public opinion which overwhelmingly supports the reunification of the surviving Parthenon sculptures in Athens, and wholly counter to the fast growing spirit of international co-operation over the location and display of disputed museum objects; notes that more people now visit the Acropolis than the Duveen Gallery; and joins with the International Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon sculptures in calling upon the British Museum and the Government to respond to the Greek government's offer of collaboration between the two museums for the reunification of the Parthenon sculptures and their ultimate display in the new Acropolis Museum, thus making them available to the maximum number of people in their optimum artistic context.

Previous motions and surveys suggest overwhelming support in the House of Commons for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures to Athens. In addition to support for earlier motions tabled by Eddie O'Hara, The Economist magazine published a poll in May 2000, which revealed that 66% of Members of the House of Commons said they would vote for the Marbles to be returned.

Polls also reveal overwhelming British public support for the return of the Sculptures. A poll in 2004 was consistent with all earlier surveys and showed that 73% said Britain should allow the sculptures to be reunited with the other surviving sculptures in Athens