Cabinet exhibition “Tibati – Bremen and Back”

Until January, 3 2027

From Colonial Plunder to Partnership. Ivory – the white gold – was highly sought after in colonial Cameroon. A conflict erupted over the trade, leading to the city of Tibati being plundered and burned to the ground by German colonial troops in 1899. Part of the looted spoils entered the collection of the Übersee-Museum as early as 1902.

Since 2018, contacts have been established between Tibati,the Übersee-Museum, and the city of Bremen to address this colonial injustice. In 2022, the Lamido, the political and religious leader of the Djérem region, to which Tibati belongs, was a guest in Bremen. Discussions took place regarding restitution, and joint ideas for cooperation projects were developed.

What is the status of this partnership today? Why is the collection still at the Übersee-Museum, and what has become of the projects – from improving vitamin A intake through the cultivation of yellow cassava to new methods of beekeeping with wild bees.

Impressions from the exibition