Stone Cross of Cape Cross (detail)

The Stone Cross of Cape Cross, a controversial object, was found in the Permanent Exhibition of the Deutsches Historisches Museum until May 2019. It bears the coat of arms of Portugal, crowned by a cross. In Latin and Portuguese it states the claim to sovereignty of the Portuguese King João II over the land marked by the sign. The column was erected in 1486 during a voyage of discovery by the Portuguese Diogo Cão on the territory of present-day Namibia. In 1485/86 Cão sailed along the west coast of Africa on behalf of the king to find a sea route to India.

The cross came into German possession in the 19th century when the respective territory became part of the colony “German South West Africa”. Kaiser Wilhelm II had his own sign of sovereignty erected in place of the stone cross. The pillar, which had been set up there by the Portuguese in the 15th century, was then shipped to the German Empire. where it was shown as part of fleet propaganda in the Berlin Institute and Museum of Oceanography. It was later moved to the Berlin Armoury and was part of the permanent exhibition of the Deutsches Historisches Museum from 2006 to May 2019.

In 2017 Namibia announced its claim to the coat of arms column. The Deutsches Historisches Museum has been discussing possibilities of restitution and has publicly debated the question of colonial justice in 2018 in a symposium. In May 2019 the Board of Trustees of the Deutsches Historisches Museum decided to return the Stone Cross of Cape Cross to Namibia.