German Collector Returns Stolen Artefact from Ancient Olympia After Six Decades

A limestone fragment of an Ionic capital, illegally taken from Ancient Olympia in the 1960s, has been offcially returned to Greece from Münster, Germany, the Greek Ministry of Culture announced on Saturday. The artefact, measuring 24 cm in height and 33.5 cm in width, was removed from the Leonidaion, a 4th-century BC guesthouse that once hosted athletes and dignitaries in the sanctuary of Olympia. It bears traces of stucco and stylistic similarities to other Ionic capitals excavated at the site. The Leonidaion’s northern section was unearthed by German archaeologists between 1875 and 1881, with the full excavation completed by 1956. A German woman visited the site in 1960 and somehow acquired the fragment. The repatriation ceremony took place on October 10, 2025, at the Ancient Olympia Conference Center (SPAP). The German woman who had taken the artefact more than sixty years ago was inspired by recent restitutions of Greek antiquities by the University of Münster, she voluntarily surrendered the piece to the institution, which then coordinated its return to Greece.

Stella Mazonakis, 'German Woman Returns Ancient Greek Artifact Stolen Over 50 Years Ago' Greek City Times 8.10.2025. by