German president asks country to confront its colonial past

Germany’s president has called on the country to face its cruel colonial past as he opened a new museum in the capital’s center that will be home to two of Berlin’s state museums which include looted artifacts from countries in Africa and elsewhere

BERLIN -- Germany's president called on Germans to face the country's cruel colonial past as he opened a new museum in the capital's center that will be home to two of Berlin’s state museums.

The Ethnological Museum and the Museum for Asian Art both contain artifacts that were looted from countries in Africa and elsewhere.

“Especially the countries in Africa have lost an immense part of their art through the raids of the Europeans,” President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said at the official opening ceremony of the Humboldt Forum.

“The injustice committed by Germany during colonial times must concern all of us, the entire society,” he added.