After 136 years, the prow of a taumualua, or a war canoe, stolen by German soldiers was returned to its homeland and it will be on display at the National University of Samoa (NUS) in September.

This prow was stolen by a German naval officer during the Samoan civil war in 1888. The war canoe was destroyed by the German military and used as firewood and the prow taken to Germany as a trophy. 

The German officer who stole the artifact gave it to the Übersee-Museum in Germany in 1932. 

The historical context of the prow was uncovered through collectors' diaries, archival records, and missionary writings according to NUS Vice-Chancellor Tuifuisa’a Patila Malua Amosa.  

The return of this artifact will help in the preservation of Samoa’s national cultural heritage and will allow for deeper conversations in the classroom and community, said Tuifuisa’a. 

The official exchange of the artifact occurred in a ceremony held at NUS on Wednesday.

“The taking of the prow was part of the global looting for cultural heritage, which was a feature of unacceptable colonial behavior,” said Katja Keul, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office in Germany. 

Kuel’s goal as the Minister of State has been to restore cultural heritage and address Germany's colonial past. 

“The ongoing effects of colonial rule have become a measure of global debate, returning cultural heritage as part of our commitment to coming to terms with Germany's colonial past, a process much overdue in German society,” Keul said.