Woman Returns Rare Archaeological Piece To Greece Given As A Gift 60 Years Ago — Fragment Belonged To Original Columns Of Olympia

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 23/10/2025 at 20:34

Fragmento de capitel jônico ficou fora da Grécia por seis décadas — Foto: Ministério da Cultura e Desportos da Grécia

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After Nearly 60 Years, German Woman Returns To Greece A Fragment Of Ionic Capital Removed From Leonidaion In Olympia. The Act Was Celebrated As A Symbol Of Cooperation And Respect For World Historical Heritage

A German woman returned to Greece, in early October, a fragment of Ionic capital that she kept for nearly 60 years. The small limestone block, with traces of plaster, measures about 24 centimeters in height by 33.5 in width and was part of one of the columns of the Leonidaion, a building located at the southwestern edge of the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia.

The site is considered one of the most important in Ancient Greece, as it housed competitors in the original Olympic Games.

The fragment was taken from the country in the 1960s, when the woman received it as a gift and took it with her to Germany.

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Origin Of The Leonidaion

Built around the 4th century BC, the Leonidaion featured four Ionic colonnades with 138 decorated columns, a symbol of Hellenic classical architecture. Over the centuries, the structure was damaged by natural disasters and time.

Today, only a small part of the original columns remains preserved in the arena, serving as a testament to the grandeur of Greece’s past.

Cooperation Between Countries

The Greek Ministry of Culture reported that the return was only possible because the woman voluntarily approached the University of Münster in Germany.

Inspired by other restitutions promoted by the institution, she decided to hand over the artifact for it to be officially repatriated.

The action was described by the Greek government as a gesture of “sensitivity and courage.” Furthermore, the Ministry highlighted the ongoing partnership with the university, which had previously returned other artifacts in 2019 and 2024.

Ceremony In Olympia

The curator of the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster, Torben Schreiber, represented the German institution at the repatriation ceremony held in Olympia.

The fragment will be incorporated into the collection of the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

During the event, Schreiber emphasized the ethical value of the return and stated: “It’s never too late to do the right, moral, and just thing. It is the duty of institutions to return objects obtained in an irregular manner.”

With information from Galileu Magazine.

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Woman Returns Rare Archaeological Piece To Greece Given As A Gift 60 Years Ago — Fragment Belonged To Original Columns Of Olympia

After Nearly 60 Years, German Woman Returns To Greece A Fragment Of Ionic Capital Removed From Leonidaion In Olympia. The Act Was Celebrated As A Symbol Of Cooperation And Respect For World Historical Heritage

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Woman Returns Rare Archaeological Piece To Greece Given As A Gift 60 Years Ago — Fragment Belonged To Original Columns Of Olympia

After Nearly 60 Years, German Woman Returns To Greece A Fragment Of Ionic Capital Removed From Leonidaion In Olympia. The Act Was Celebrated As A Symbol Of Cooperation And Respect For World Historical Heritage

Origin Of The Leonidaion

Cooperation Between Countries

Ceremony In Olympia

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A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

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