October 03, 2022
Reischek remains welcomed back to Te Papa
The remains of ancestors plundered by Austrian grave robber Andreas Reischek have been welcomed back to Te Papa Tongarewa.
After discussions spanning more than 80 years, the Natural History Museum in Vienna handed over koiwi from abut 64 Māori and Moriori ancestors.
Te Papa’s kaihautū Dr Arapata Hakiwai, who accompanied them on their voyage from Europe, says the repatriation helps to reconcile the colonial past and opens a new chapter in relationships between Māori, Moriori, and the New Zealand and Austrian governments.
He says the Vienna museum acknowledged the activities of their countryman, who spent twelve years in New Zealand from 1877 to 1889, were abhorrent.
“Andreas Reischek took from grave sites and wahi tapu. When you look at his diaries, clearly he is a person who had no respect and betrayed trust of a large number of people and knew what he was doing was wrong, but still went ahead and did it, ” Dr Hakiwai says.
Repatriation organisation Karanga Aotearoa will work with iwi, hapū and whānau to establish a pathway home for the ancestors, if they can be identified.