ABSTRACT
The discussion about restitution proceeds largely the same way in the Netherlands as in other European countries. Germany, Belgium, France, and Britain are also decolonizing museum collections and discussing with some former colonies whether they seek the restitution of objects, manuscripts and ancestral remains and, if so, which parts of these. Sometimes one European country leads the way, sometimes another. In practice, I find that a country often takes a step forward, followed by a step back, especially when opponents of restitution stir.
