Germany to return 15th-century seafarer Cross to Namibia

A German museum said Friday it would return to Namibia a 15th-century navigation landmark erected by Portuguese explorers as part of Berlin’s efforts to face up to its colonial past. “The restitution of the Stone Cross of Cape Cross is a clear signal that we are committed to coming to terms with our colonial past,” said Culture Minister Monika Gruetters. “For too many decades, the colonial time has been a blind spot in our remembrance culture.” Placed in 1486 on the western coast of what is today Namibia, the Stone Cross was once considered to be such an important navigation marker that it featured on old world maps. In the 1890s, it was removed from its spot on Cape Cross and brought to Europe by the region’s then German colonial masters.