The repatriation ceremony took place on October 10, 2025, at the Conference Center of Ancient Olympia (SPAP). The artifact, a fragment of an Ionic capital made of limestone, originates from the Leonidaion of Ancient Olympia and had been illegally removed in the 1960s. The fragment, which retains traces of its original coating, measures 24 cm in height and 33.5 cm in width. It shares stylistic features with other Ionic capitals from the site.

The Leonidaion, named after its benefactor Leonidas from Naxos, is located outside the Altis in the sanctuary’s southwest section. It was the largest building in the sanctuary (74.80 x 81.08 m), with characteristic Ionic colonnades on all four sides. Built in the second half of the 4th century BC, it served as a guesthouse for prominent visitors. Its northern section was uncovered during the first German excavations (1875–1881), and the full excavation was completed between 1953 and 1956.

The woman who returned the capital had collected it during a visit to the Leonidaion area. Motivated by recent restitutions of antiquities from the University of Münster to their countries of origin, she decided to hand it over to the university, which played a key role in facilitating its return to Greece and Ancient Olympia.

The University of Münster has been a long-standing partner of the Greek Ministry of Culture. In 2019, it returned the so-called Skyphos of Louïs, a cup belonging to Spyridon Louïs, winner of the marathon at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. In 2024, it repatriated a Roman-period marble male head originating from a Thessaloniki cemetery, now exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki.

Dr. Torben Schreiber, curator of the University of Münster’s Archaeological Museum, reaffirmed the museum’s commitment to returning any artifact proven to be illicitly acquired, stating: “It is never too late to do what is right, ethical, and just.”

At the ceremony, Secretary General for Culture Georgios Didaskalos expressed his gratitude to the university’s representatives, stating:
“This is a deeply moving moment. This act proves that culture and history know no borders but require cooperation, responsibility, and mutual respect. Each such return is an act of justice and a bridge of friendship between peoples.”

This voluntary return adds to a growing list of similar actions in recent years. The trend reflects Greece’s continuous national and international efforts to raise awareness and mobilize action against the illegal trade in antiquities.

The ceremony was attended by:

• Georgios Didaskalos, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture
• Dr. Katja Sporn, Director of the German Archaeological Institute in Athens
• Apl. Dr. Oliver Pilz, Director of the German excavations in Olympia
• Dr. Torben Schreiber, Curator of the Münster University Museum
• Vasso Papageorgiou, Head of the Directorate for Documentation and Protection of Cultural Goods
• Elena Vlachogianni, Head of the Documentation Department
• Erofili Kollia, Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ilia
• Archaeological Service officials and local authorities.