Athens, November 10th, 2006
SPEECH OF THE MINISTER OF CULTURE
Mr. GIORGOS VOULGARAKIS
AT THE RECEPTION CEREMONY
OF THE FRAGMENT FROM THE ERECHTHEION
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The demand for entity and completion comes from the form of the monument itself.
Therefore, it is an exceptional honor for me, today, to present to you a fragment from
an anta capital (epikranitis) of the Erechtheion, which has come back to its rightful
place after approximatelly one hundred years.
The Erechtheion, this glorious temple of the Acropolis, constitutes one of the
masterpieces of the Ionian order. Its most famous section is the Caryatid Porch,
supported by the six female statues of the Caryatids. Despite all the disasters it has
undergone throughout the centuries, it has regained its initial form thanks to
systematic archaeological work.
Nevertheless, its dismembered parts constitute a significant loss, -either great, such as
the Caryatid, or lesser, but most symbolic, such as the one we reunite with it today.
Hereby, I would like to stress that the restitution of even the smallest fragment from
the Parthenon and the Acropolis, in general, is of the highest value to us.
The fragment we receive today has been, all these years, in Sweden. Today, it is
officially delivered to Greece by Mrs. Birgit Wiger Angner, who inherited it from her
father in 1972. He had received it as a present from a relative, who obtained it during
a visit to Athens in 1895.
The decision of Mrs. Birgit Wiger Angner to proceed to this extremely important
gesture is connected with the international endeavor for the return of cultural goods to
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their countries of origin. Most of all though, it is linked with advancing our request
for the return and reunification of the Parthenon sculptures. And this request, as I have
underlined many times, goes beyond our national borders and has international
dimensions.
It is impressive that Mrs. Wiger Angner was informed by the Swedish Press on the
organisation of an one-day conference regarding the return of the Parthenon
Sculptures, which took place in the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern
Antiquities of Stockholm, in May 2003. The one-day conference was held on the
occasion of the establishment of the Swedish Committee, for the promotion of the
return of the Parthenon Sculptures. Mrs. Wiger Angner thereafter contacted the
Committee and the Museum, where she deposited the fragment in 2005. Her desire
was to return it where it belongs, wishing to set an example for the museums in
possession of sculptural members of the Parthenon.
This fragment belonged to a wave-shaped architectural member of the decorative
band of the Erechtheion walls, which were in total twenty eight.
Three of them are found today in the British Museum and one in the Munich
Glyptotek, while on the monument ten of them are complete and three more are
composed of fragments put together.
In November 2005, the Director of the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern
Antiquites of Stockholm, Mrs. Houby Nielsen, along with the donor of the fragment,
were invited in our country, within the framework of a meeting of the International
Committees’ representatives for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures. During their
visit, they discussed the procedure and the period of the fragment’s return to Greece,
so as to place it in the New Acropolis Museum. The Director of the Museum of
Stockholm had promised to return the fragment within 2006.
Thus, today I have the honor to officially accept it and I would like to thank, publicly,
Mrs. Wiger Angner for her valuable offer. I would like to thank her, for her decision
to transfer the owneship of the fragment to the Greek Ministry of Culture has an
enormous symbolic importance. It justifies the efforts made throughout the world for
the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, indicating and urging for similar actions. Mrs.
Wiger Angner’s gesture sends a message to all foreign museums in possession of
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sculptural parts of the Parthenon: to respond to the moral duty toward the cultural and
spiritual cohesion of United Europe.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Last September, the University of Heidelberg gave back to Greece, after
approximately one century, the first of the dismembered fragments from the Pathenon
Sculptures. This has paved the way for the reunification of the entity of a monument
which consitutes a symbol of world culture. The restitution of the fragment from the
Erechtheion today, makes us even more optimistic towards the future perspectives of
the protection and enhancement of our cultural treasures. It also reinforces our faith in
the consensus, co-operation and support among all European cultural institutions. My
optimism results, mainly, from the forged cohesion of the European conscioussness,
as well as from the ecumenical reaction in favor of the repatriation of looted cultural
treasures.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Greek Ministry of Culture is delineating steadily and effectively its strategy for
the protection and enhancement of our cultural heritage.
We are reforming our services. The special legislative committee of the Ministry, is
proceeding to elaborate the legal framework, which will shield Greece against illegal
trafficking of antiquities. Furthermore, it will introduce reforms and the creation of a
Directorate for the combat against illicit trafficking, which will record, document and
fight for the illegally removed antiquities from our country. We have already prepared
and will shortly sign bilateral agreements of collaboration with Italy and China,
regarding the protection of our cultural treasures and the struggle against illegal
trafficking of antiquities. We will also sign a memorandum of application of the
UNESCO Cultural Convention of 1970 with the USA and Switzerland.
We wish and desire the collaboration with great museums, which sincerely follow
today’s spirit, on the basis of ethics and law. We are working with a vision,
methodology and determination and we have in a very short time gathered the first
fruits of our efforts.
The success of our negotiations with the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, which
are still in progress, the great impact of our collaboration with the University of
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Heidelberg, and today’s return of the fragment from the Erechtheion are only the
beginning.
We consider it our obligation to do even more. We are determined to build the proper
foundations and defend in every legitimate way our cultural heritage, which is at the
same time also universal. The Ministry of Culture is always vigilant. Our goals are
unendingly high, because our responsibilities are even higher. Allow me hereby to
thank once more the Greek and foreign journalists for their support and their
indispensable contribution to our national efforts.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to express my warm “thanks” to all those who have worked for today’s
success: the Swedish Committee, which promotes the request for the return of the
Parthenon Sculptures, as well as our friend country, Sweden, for its solidarity. The
Director of the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquites of Stockholm,
Mrs. Houby Nielsen, for her mediation and help, but also our Embassy in Sweden. I
would also like to thank all those who have worked in the Ministry of Culture, the
Ephors of the Acropolis -and most of all the Honorary Ephor of Antiquities Mrs.
Alkistis Choremi-, who have largely contributed to the return of the fragment from the
Erechtheion.
Finally, on behalf of all the Greeks, I would like to express my gratitude and my
warmest thanks to Mrs. Wiger Angner for her decision to transfer the ownership of
the fragment to the Greek Ministry of Culture. Her gesture offers the international
public opinion with a stimulus of sensitization for the benefit of a unique monument
of world culture: the Parthenon and the Acropolis of Athens, in general.
Mrs. Wiger Angner, from this very day, your gesture will honor Greek culture and
will challenge the international community to imitate you.
Thank you very much.
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