of plaques and sculptures known as the bin in bronze is once filled the palace and the kingdom of been mean present day nigeria then europeans invaded africa the british military sacked the palace and took the bronze with them for over a century now been in bronzes have been displayed in european museums and through many europeans have come to appreciate african art but now the pressure is mounting for museums to return them including 2 dozen museums here in germany. have been mean bronzes have come to symbolize art looted from africa debate over their restitution has gone on for years now the matter has gained momentum in germany foreign minister heikal mosse has called for them to be returned culture minister wants a conference aimed at finding a solution is this a turning point. this is what's happening is something sensational you could even call it a paradigm shift suddenly the restitution to africa of precious objects from africa

is no problem at all anymore and that's something really new and it's electrifying the restitution is will happen i'm convinced of it. mean bronzes were meant to be displayed in berlin's new home but farm in a few months time is the heart of the ethnological collection the pression cultural heritage foundation which currently holds the bronzes doesn't want to give up that idea completely. i'm optimistic that the original objects can still be displayed here some could be returned and some could remain here so there could be a continual exchange of items on loan and it was always clear that the context in which they were acquired the context of injustice would be explained it's the fact is that in $897.00 in the kingdom of british colonial forces looted $4000.00 bronze sculptures in a raid germany $1100.00 of the stolen goods. there's

blood on these objects so do trophies from the colonial era really belong in an exhibition in the heart of berlin 2003 music can be seen in many museums around the world the binning bronze those are exceptional art and when they came to europe they highlighted a completely new image of africa as a continent steeped in history and culture they've been in bronze as are of course part of the cultural history of nigeria and been in but they've also become global . nigerian authorities take a different view the new museum is planned there where the bronzes are to be displayed as the country's legal property. during. government national. international order. the bronzers are legacy of colonial conquest french historian

venediktov law is one of the most important voices when it comes to bloated art her research has revealed that for decades museums have deliberately covered up the provenance of their collections in a hindered investigations increased in thinking it's obvious that museum directors tried to put off having to take action before they retired and simply passed the problem on to the next generation which has us now it's clear that we cannot and must not burden the next generation with this we have to act in east london there are still no definitive decisions but in general tendency is becoming clear in germany calls for restitution of the 1000000000 bronzers are growing louder both within the public and among politicians and here in africa when we were in africa the culture minister of the republic of been said he didn't think there would ever be any restitution and if it did happen it would be as important as the fall of the

berlin wall and i think we've reached a kind of cultural fall of the wall. canadian film star elliot page made headlines a few months ago when he came out as transgender being openly publicly trans is still far from the norm but trans people are becoming noticeably more visible in t.v. film and fashion and to mark this international transgender day of visibility we met up again with a brave pioneer of trans visibility here in germany. they're all full of plain what you believe they're all. you identified as girl boy now we will call you a girl later if you want. what i really hope is that people realize we're human and we're not like some exotic species we have human emotion that's what matters transgender people have perhaps never been as visible in western society as in

recent years. the new. series documentaries and films are increasingly portraying trans people. and shows like the us series pose for not only telling trans stories but also casting trans actors some of whom have since become stars. but for ordinary people who don't have the protection that fame provides living openly as trans can still require courage. and that was even more the case in the 1990 s. when michelle meyer from southern germany dared to make herself visible she hopes to serve as a role model for. the kids often mentioned again there are so many people who have the same problem i do who would like to go down the same path but don't know where to turn or what they should do they hide themselves just as i had myself for years too afraid of coming out so i thought that was the opportunity to say people

tolerate us we're human beings just like everyone else yes or yes we're thinking also mention b. and i know. we 1st met michelle back in 1994 a few years after she won a few to contest in the varian town of by a white. people country then i'm transsexual which means that i've altered my body to fit my sense of myself as a woman want the decisive point is that i was crowned miss by a white and 1991 when i was still a man with a decent i don't know i'm on. michelle was assigned male it birth before having jen . her confirmation surgery she took part in the beauty pageant them alone she outed herself as transgender after her victory that was considered a scandal back then. we met up with her again 29 years later how does she look back on that time line. up the family

it was very difficult at the time to survive as a transgender or gay or lesbian person especially about why it was small but very in town that was taboo of course it was really bad with all the threats i got death threats phone calls wrong and. michelle was happy to see how things have changed since she 1st came out. with guns and explorer and i have to honestly say that after i came out things got a bit better in terms of tolerance i'd say that after about 5 to 7 years people got more tolerable because there was a phase of education that t.v. shows and newspapers got much better at explaining and showing why a person is transgender why they're gay or why they're lesbian the way hope for adults with. this. but there is still a long way to go when it comes to transgender equality and civil rights but there has been a liberalization of western society since the 1990 s.

especially in the business of beauty where michelle meyer started out today there are a number of transgender models who are proudly out and visible. i. well germany is celebrating 1700 years of german jewish history germany's earliest known jewish resident a man named isaac with 1700 years ago in the city of cologne today cologne is building a new jewish museum and the building incorporates some fascinating archaeological remains. it's still a construction site but right here in the heart of cologne a new museum for the city's jewish history is being built once complete it will present the results of a decades long archaeological excavations in the city. there of and here the great thing about working on these archaeological excavations is that it's incredibly

complex here injured roman history meets medieval history meets jewish history sometimes these things are so closely related that they can't really be separated here you can see the semicircular arch of a roman portico facade and right in front of it there are the cellar walls of a medieval jewish hospital on the otoliths nutritionals retired. historical documents show that jews have lived in cologne since roman antiquity in the year 321 emperor constantine decreed that jews would be allowed to hold public office in what was then called colonia agrippina. in the middle ages cologne became home to the largest jewish community north of the alps but throughout history jews continued to be discriminated against and used as scapegoats during an outbreak of the plague in $1349.00 they were accused of poisoning the wells in the pub gram night of august 23rd of that year an angry mob set the jewish quarter on

fire and killed or banished its roughly $800.00 inhabitants. archeologists continue to uncover historical evidence of jewish life from back then. the name for i know we're standing in front of a once in a lifetime archaeological sensation a hebrew inscription which reads this is the window through which the bodily waste can be removed. the latrine pit is on the other side of this well underneath the yard of the synagogue which must not be contaminated by excrement one of our image throughout and off. or the construction work there are means of the synagogue and the ritual bath the mics are covered up. but photos and virtual reconstructions show what the jewish house of worship would have looked like. this partially restored oil lamp would have been lit at the start of show. and animal

bones bear witness to a kosher diet. archeologists also discovered a sketch on a slate presumably done by a child caricaturing their teacher. another one is believed to have served as a letter. name and then a small letter after it these are really small sums of money that someone really received or game it's a fascinating look into the lives of the people who lived here into what happened here in cologne a couple of meters from me hundreds of years ago. in found. form . these are the treasures that will come alive for visitors on a 650 meter long path through the city's history right on top of where one of europe's most important jewish communities once started the impressive museum building will cover an area of over 6000 square meters and will be named mc while it's opening as planned for 2024. mark your calendars well that's it for this

arts and culture for more news including stories about jewish life and history here in germany was on facebook and twitter. thanks for watching.

entered the conflict zone the government sri lanka has been strongly criticized the un human rights council which warned them of raging situation in the country and the case marginalize ation of minorities my guest this week is just enough column a year secretary just 3 largest foreign ministry physically johns of the mood to take the criticism seriously i'm still something about the conflict sophie and 30 minutes on t.w. . this search for the last supper. is secrets. in our detentions masterpiece art history. art restorers medicine place of discovery. oh my fod a mysterious copy exists law in 75 on t.w.

. we're all set to go beyond. a man. as we take on the world. we're all about the stories that matter to. whatever it takes at least one form of. television to be on fire made for. doesn't. look like.

the industry is controlling your thoughts for the great 20th century. present a hoax of. recent memory. stores may 3rd. this is deja vu news and these are all top stories u.s. president joe biden has unveiled an infrastructure plan worth 2 trillion dollars the spending package will help repair roads and bridges as well as improve the quality of drinking water biden said the plan will also creates jobs and help tackle the climate crisis.