Italy Rejects Munich Museum’s Request to Return Roman Copy of Myron’s Discobolus Sculpture Previously Bought by Hitler

The Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, has refused to return an ancient Roman sculpture after a request was made by the Staatliche Antikensammlungen Museum in Munich, Germany, sparking a diplomatic debate over the statue's rightful owner.

The sculpture is arguably the most popular copy of the "Discobolus," made by a Greek-Athenian sculptor from the mid-5th century B.C. named Myron. Now, the original bronze statue is thought to be lost with only five copies known to have ever been made. The "Discobolus Palombara" copy, on the other hand, was reportedly constructed between 100 to 200 AD and is currently housed in Rome's National Roman Museum.

The "Discobolus Palombara" was initially found on one of the seven hills of Rome, the Esquiline Hill, back in 1781. Afterward, it was sold to Nazi Germany come 1938 for over 5 million lira, which is about $5.7 million in today's economy.

The sale was pushed by the support of Italy's dictator at the time, Benito Mussolini. It was then displayed at the Munich Museum after Hitler gave it to the institution, up until November of 1948 when it was consequently given back to Italy.

The Debates that Sparked Following the Requests for Roman Antiquity

The catalyst of the dispute was a separate request made by the director of the National Roman Museum, Stéphan Verger, for the return of the marble base created for the statue back in the 1600s which is stored in Munich's museum, reports the Italian publication Corriere della Sera.

Instead, the director of the Glypthotek section of Munich's museum housing Greek and Roman artifacts, Florian S. Knauss, purportedly redirected with a request of his own aimed towards Italy.

In a personal statement by Sangiuliano that he posted on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote, "The request from the Munich Glyptothek to have the Discobolus Lancellotti back is as absurd as it is inadmissible."

"It was tied up and was exported illicitly as a result of an unholy pact between the Nazis and fascists. Thanks to the Americans for giving it back to us," he added.

In addition, Sangiuliano shared that the dispute could be settled at a diplomatic level and that Germany's own minister of culture, Claudia Roth, "knows nothing about this." He continued by saying that Germany and Italy's collaboration, "which is already excellent in so many fields," could even be improved in the "cultural field," too.

However, for this statue, Sangiuliano colorfully states that Germany can only get the sculpture back "over [his] dead body."

According to the Italian newspaper, Glypthotek's Knauss replied by stating that he would not be forfeiting "their legal claim" for the return of the Discobolus since the statue was "legally acquired by the German state" following the exportation agreement of Italy's institution at the time.