Swiss City Returns Remains Of Indigenous Ancestors To Chile

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Canton Basel City is returning two skeletons and a skull of Kawésqar ancestors to Chile. On Thursday, Government President Conradin Cramer received a delegation from the Indigenous community at City Hall to mark the restitution. Select your language

Generated with artificial intelligence. Listening: Swiss city returns remains of indigenous ancestors to Chile This content was published on September 11, 2026 - 09:08 2 minutes Keystone-SDA

Deutsch de Basel-Stadt gibt Überreste indigener Ahnen nach Chile zurück Original Read more: Basel-Stadt gibt Überreste indigener Ahnen nach Chile zu

The Basel government had decided to proceed with this restitution following a joint application from the Natural History Museum, the Museum Commission and the Rectorate of the University of Basel, the Presidential Department announced. The Cantonal Museums Act stipulates that such a joint application is required.

Provenance research carried out at the Natural History Museum Basel clarified the history of the human remains' origins.

Basel collectors Arnold Masarey (1881–1953) and Ludwig Paravicini (1868–1953) acquired them in Patagonia in the early 20th century. They donated them to what was then the Museum of Ethnology. Today, the bones are housed at the Natural History Museum.

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