In October 2025, the University of Göttingen will return human remains from its collections to the Marshall Islands. The repatriation of ancestral remains to the Republic of Palau serves as a blueprint. Palau anthropologist Mr. McMichael Mutok Jr. shares his report on the first repatriation of Palau ancestral remains from Germany to the island republic:
The Palau ancestral remains, held in Germany for over a century, have finally returned home. Initially housed in the Museum of Ethnology in Hamburg (now MARKK) from 1910, the remains were later transferred to the University of Göttingen Biological Anthropological Department in 1953. These skeletal remains were collected during the 1908-1910 Hamburg South-Seas Expedition by ethnologist Dr. Paul Hambruch, who acquired some without consent.
Project History
The repatriation project began in 2022 when the University of Göttingen reached out to Minister Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl of the Ministry of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism, and Development of the Republic of Palau and to Director Kiblas Soaladaob from the Bureau of Cultural and Historical Preservation searching for interested researchers to participate in the “Sensitive Provenances” Research Fellowship Programme.
They recommended McMichael Mutok Jr., an anthropologist researcher, who was then selected as the candidate by the Research Program and joined with fellows from Aotearoa (New Zealand), Cameroon, and Tanzania. During his three-month research in Germany from September to November 2022, Mr. Mutok visited the MARKK Archive in Hamburg and uncovered journals and diary entries written by Dr. Paul Hambruch, revealing that some remains were taken without permission.
Mr. Mutok’s research confirmed that human remains had been excavated from some burial sites in Palau during the Hamburg South-Seas Expedition (1908-1910) and transported to Germany aboard the steamer Peiho. Initially integrated into the Museum of Ethnology in Hamburg, the remains were later transferred to the University of Gottingen in 1953. The collection included:
The remains, belonging to individuals aged 4 to 80, were subjected to dehumanizing race research. The DNA test is underway, with results expected in the course of 2025. The Biological Anthropology Department at the University of Göttingen holds 1,200 ancestral remains from Oceania and Africa, among them some from the Micronesian region, dating back to the German colonial period between 1890 and the 1920s.
The Handover Ceremony
Upon completing his research, McMichael Mutok Jr. returned to Palau and reported his findings to his team. On March 25, 2024, two years after his initial trip, a Palau delegation, including Minister Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl, Dr. Constanze Dupont, McMichael Mutok Jr., and Ribka Kintaro, attended a handover ceremony at the University of Göttingen. This marked the first repatriation of Palauan ancestral remains in history.
During the ceremony, the then President of the University of Göttingen Metin Tolan acknowledged the dark chapter in scientific research and apologized for the unethical practices. Dr. Leontine Meijer-van Mensch, Director of the State Ethnographic Collection of Saxony, also offered her sincere apologies, expressing hope for a joint ethical relationship between Germany and Palau in the future. Minister Tmetuchl accepted their apology and emphasized the importance of acknowledging the past, stating that the return of the remains allowed for a proper burial in Palau. He proposed the potential future opportunities Germany could provide for Palau including scholarships, research collaborations, cultural exchange and training programmes.
Research fellow McMichael Mutok Jr. highlighted the opportunity for establishing a closer relationship between Palau and Germany. Ribka Kintaro, representing the Pulo Anna Council, concluded the ceremony with a traditional chant. At the end of the ceremony, a repatriation agreement was signed, formalizing the transfer of the remains from the University of Göttingen and the State Ethnographic Collections of Saxony, State Art Collection in Dresden to the Palau National Government.
Welcoming the Ancestors Home
On December 21, 2024, nine months after the handover ceremony in Germany, the ancestral remains returned to Palau. This event, marking the first repatriation from Germany, was welcomed in a formal ceremony at Palau International Airport.
The ceremony welcomed the remains of eight ancestors: four from Babeldaob and four from Pulo Anna, one hair sample, and an artefact- a plaster bust of an ancestor. His Excellency President Surangel Whipps Jr. expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of HRCTD and the University of Göttingen for facilitating the repatriation, noting that the ceremony acknowledges the past and also paves the way for future collaboration and strengthens the relationship of Palau and Germany. Minister Ngiraibelas Tmetuchl acknowledged the collaboration and the historical significance of returning the remains.
Chief Damien Albis of Pulo Anna emphasized the event’s importance and extended thanks to all involved. McMichael Mutok Jr., shared his detailed project’s history and his research efforts in Germany, where he spent three months uncovering information about the remains and their origins.
The remains are temporarily stored at the Ngerulmud Capitol until a monument is erected to honor and rebury them. Additionally, a plaster mask artefact is being processed for display, including the history of the German colonial times in Palau.
The ceremony concluded with gratitude to the Office of the President, Ministry of HRCTD, the Pulo Anna Traditional Council, community members, and researchers, including Dr. Constanze Dupont, McMichael Mutok Jr. and Ms. Ribka Kintaro.
Palauan officials will continue working with their German counterparts to locate and return any additional remains held in museums and universities, ensuring that ancestors separated from their homeland for over a century may finally rest in peace in Palau.
By McMichael Mutok Jr.