The Australian Aboriginal Collection in the Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin

Increasing interest in collections of Indigenouscultural material held by museums in terms ofreframing colonial histories through recovering thestories of collections and collectors whileIndigenous peoples are recovering culturalinformation relevant to their own communities, hasled to a flourishing of publications and conferencesas well as various repatriation claims. This overviewof the collection of Australian Aboriginal materialheld in a European museum, the Museum für Völkerkundein Berlin investigates the aims driving the amassingof that material in the first forty years followingestablishment of the Museum in 1873, its subsequentcollection and display policies and its contributionto framing Aboriginal cultural identity. Motivationsof the museum, the collectors and some of the makersare revealed. Strategies of collecting and display bykey museum counterparts in Europe and the UK arecompared and proposals for continued relationshipsbetween the Museum and communities of origin of thematerial of benefit to all parties are canvassed.

Klappentext
Increasing interest in collections of Indigenous cultural material held by museums in terms of reframing colonial histories through recovering the stories of collections and collectors while Indigenous peoples are recovering cultural information relevant to their own communities, has led to a flourishing of publications and conferences as well as various repatriation claims. This overview of the collection of Australian Aboriginal material held in a European museum, the Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin investigates the aims driving the amassing of that material in the first forty years following establishment of the Museum in 1873, its subsequent collection and display policies and its contribution to framing Aboriginal cultural identity. Motivations of the museum, the collectors and some of the makers are revealed. Strategies of collecting and display by key museum counterparts in Europe and the UK are compared and proposals for continued relationships between the Museum and communities of origin of the material of benefit to all parties are canvassed.