Factors at stake in the returning process of colonial heritage. The case of Suriname and the Netherlands.

Abstract

Through a historical, institutional, and qualitative study, the thesis seeks to resolve the phase in which the narrative of the return of Surinam's colonial collections from the Netherlands finds itself. By answering questions such as: what are the various reasons that have led the Netherlands to initiate a process of returning its colonial collections? What is the role of the government in the return of these objects? To what extent is Suriname affected by these returns, and what does the return of the objects imply for its community? What is the reception of these objects by Surinamese institutions? Does the return of colonial objects repair the colonial past between Suriname and the Netherlands?

The thesis proposes to understand a much deeper problem that connects different parts of a social, political, and institutional triangle in an attempt to make visible the hidden points of these dynamics when returning the pieces. In the social sphere, the current demands that society has been making on museums are raised, questioning their coloniality and the much-needed multivocality in their narratives to recognize the colonial past. It also questions the responsibilities of governments and new policies in the political sphere. Finally, at the institutional level, the work seeks to see the contributions and dispositions of museums on both sides of the pond within their organizations, in which the voice of the interviewees is fundamental to understanding this complex structure.