Very few people know the true story of the Parthenon Marbles because the British Museum doesn’t tell it. It tells people that the Parthenon Marbles were ‘legally acquired'; there has never been real proof that they were and this claim has always been hotly contested.
Lord Elgin removed many exquisitely carved figures and friezes from the Parthenon temple, inflicting severe damage to the fragile monument by doing so. He shipped these Marbles, without express permission, to the UK, wanting them to decorate his ancestral home in Scotland. However, because he became bankrupt, in 1816, he sold the Marbles to the British Parliament, which paid £35,000 and placed them in the care of the British Museum.
Now, for the first time in over 200 years, The British Museum has entered talks with the Greek government, pressured to do so by a change in public opinion. But the UK government is still standing in the way, for no good reason. For an agreement to happen we need the support of the present Secretary of State for Culture, Lucy Frazer MP KC.
This is why the Greek Community and the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles is seeking to raise £35,000. We want the British government to support The British Museum to do the right thing.
By raising funds to symbolically repay the sum used in the Marbles' purchase we can both acknowledge Parliament's role in protecting these priceless artifacts while pressuring the government to get on board with their return.
Let us explain what will happen if the £35,000 raised falls short, or if the Culture Minister refuses our kind symbolic gesture of re-paying the sum. If, after that, you want your money back, we will return it, with thanks.
If, however, you choose to donate the funds to the Committee to further the struggle, we have well-targeted actions lined up to raise awareness among parliamentarians and the public of the extraordinary story of the Marbles and the sordid way they were hauled off to Britain.
We will use any funds donated to make professional videos that explain what the Marbles meant to ancient Athens and still mean to the Greek people today, as well as contributing to a revelatory upcoming documentary film on the Marbles.
Please join our pledge campaign and help us put pressure on the government. Help us explain the tragi-comic story of Lord Elgin, and his appalling vandalism of the greatest monument of the Ancient World still standing today, and why it really matters that the British government should return them.
The overwhelming majority of UNESCO member states wants the Parthenon Marbles to be returned to Greece. Britain stands alone and remarkably isolated. It's time to right this wrong.