Munich’s Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek asked the National Roman Museum to give back the 2nd-century Discobolus Palombara, a copy of a long-lost Greek original.
Hitler was captivated by the statue during a visit to Rome in 1938, for its apparent embodiment of Aryan aesthetics. Despite refusals from Italy’s education minister and culture officials to sell the statue, its owner agreed under pressure from dictator Mussolini.
The Discobolus, which was discovered in 1781 and owned by Prince Lancellotti, remained in the museum in Munich until 1948. It was returned to Italy in 1948.
The German museum’s request for the statue comes amid a wider spat that started when the Italian museum asked for the statue’s 17th-century marble case to be returned to it. The German museum declined and asked to have the statue back, prompting a furious response from the Italians.
The Italian culture minister Mr. Sangiuliano replied. “It’s an absurd request because at the time the work was already restricted and couldn’t be exported. Having said this, our cultural ties with Germany are excellent. I think the government in Berlin doesn’t know anything about this request. Between me and German minister Claudia Roth there is great cordiality,” he added.
The museum in Munich justified its request by saying the statue had been illegally transported to Italy, the Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported.
It also said that the statue was legally bought by the German state at the time, with the Italian authorities’ permission.
Main Image :Discobolus Palombara – Lancellotti at the National Roman Museum at Palazzo Massimo
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
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