A recap showcasing different voices and impressions of the workshop „Revisiting Missionary Collections Within the Global Church“ which was organized by IWM in collaboration with the German Commission Justitia et Pax and took place in Sankt Augustin from March 19-21, 2025.

With a focus on the historical and ethical implications of missionary collections, discussions explored how these collections were originally used, how they were transformed through the processes of collecting and exhibiting, and how they are interpreted today from different viewpoints. Particular attention was given to historically and culturally sensitive objects, highlighting the importance of transparency and engagement with representatives of the countries of origin. Driven by a strong sense of openness, critical self-reflection and mutual respect the discussions were enriching and unique in their cross-disciplinary approach. Regarding the future handling of missionary collections, a shared commitment emerged to take concrete steps toward a responsible and ethical approach to this material heritage. Ultimately, the workshop aimed to redefine the significance of these collections within the context of mission history and collective memory. The workshop brought together religious, academic, and secular experts and practitioners from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, creating a valuable space for dialogue across continents and perspectives.

Excerpt of the welcome speech of P. Prof. Dr. Dr. Markus Luber SJ:

You might be wondering why we are gathered here in Sankt Augustin when Frankfurt or Berlin could have also been suitable venues. We are fortunate to be guests at the Provincialate and German Motherhouse of the Divine Word Missionaries. What makes this location special is the presence of the Museum for Peoples and Cultures, providing an ideal setting for engaging with the questions we have set for this workshop—not only in terms of content but also methodologically. More on that shortly. First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to hold our workshop here. It is a pleasure to welcome Father Provincial Peter Claver Narh, who is participating in our workshop. Dear Father Provincial, thank you for your hospitality and for taking the time to join us—I truly appreciate it.

Our venue is not only home to one of the largest Catholic missionary orders but also houses the Anthropos Institute, where the order’s ethnological research tradition is tangibly present. I would like to extend my gratitude to Father Grodz for his support in organizing this event. This evening, he will guide us through the museum and introduce his work at the institute.

As you may already sense, the genius loci played a key role in our decision to host this event here.

In our invitation letter, we stated:

The idea is to engage in dialogue with representatives of the ‘churches of origin’ of mission history collections in a small group. Instead of traditional lectures followed by discussion, the aim is to create a more dialogue-based format with short talks. We want to bring together members of international congregations, ethnologists, museum experts, church historians, and missiologists, as well as individuals involved in specific projects, representatives from governmental institutions, and members of both ecclesiastical and secular circles in Europe and the Global South. The goal is to discuss the current situation of mission history collections, develop perspectives for their appropriate future management, and shed new light on mission history.

To this, I would like to add: How can we contribute to building and improving international relations? This workshop is embedded in this broader context.

This vision has become reality. Here gathers a truly intercultural and interdisciplinary group. It means also that each of us brings different levels of expertise and perspectives to the topic: Among us are professionals, specialists from various disciplines, clergy from different hierarchical levels, and individuals who, work with collections, conduct research, or are developing new museum projects. The diversity of our group makes our discussion all the more exciting. It is truly wonderful that such a varied group has come together. The workshop character is also reflected in the fact that, while we will have, valuable and insightful presentations, the key focus remains on sharing among us—a dialogical process.

This dialogical approach aligns with the 3-Path Strategy developed by the German Federal-State “Kontaktstelle” on Handling Collections from Colonial Contexts. The strategy calls for active engagement with experts from origin countries, origin communities, and the diaspora in Germany. This workshop signals that these established standards also apply to church collections.

At the same time this highlights a distinctive feature of missionary collections: we place churches of origin at the center of the discussion. This is facilitated by the international structure of Catholic orders, which has enabled many of the invitations extended for this event.

When we speak of including the diaspora, this also has implications for religious communities, but again within a unique context. Many of the religious members present today come from former mission territories and now hold leadership positions in Germany. While this represents an intercultural dynamic, it does not automatically ensure intercultural sensitivity.

We must keep in mind that all the different perspectives in some way touch upon identity issues. There is often fear that public discourse may lead to moral condemnation. Hence the collections are often regarded as a historical burden.

I would like to promote the view that missionary collections should not be seen merely as a problem but rather as an opportunity to address deeper issues of relationships and recognition.

As a missiologist, I find it important to also engage with this dimension of the discourse: not only restitution matters but also reconciliation matters. The foundation of this engagement is not merely current societal attention. In my understanding of theology, faith is inseparable from justice in a comprehensive sense. We also experience this in our sense of connectivity and wholeness: history cannot simply be set aside and forgotten. The injustices of the past concern us as well as the experience of people suffering from a lack of recognition concerns us, even if they are not our neighbors. This broader sense of justice is an integral part of the Church’s mission. Engaging with intercultural relations and acknowledging history is a service to humanity—when done fairly. This is what we aim to contribute to.