Stephen Fry Advocates for the Return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece
Stephen Fry has compared the removal of the Parthenon marbles from Greece to Nazi Germany stealing the Arc de Triomphe and suggests it would be classy for the British Museum to return the sculptures. The Marbles, taken by Lord Elgin from the Acropolis in 1802, have been housed in the British Museum since 1832. The legality of their removal remains contested.
Stephen Fry has compared the removal of the Parthenon marbles from Greece to Nazi Germany stealing the Arc de Triomphe during the occupation of France, suggesting it would be a 'classy' move for the British Museum to return the sculptures.
Fry made these comments during an interview on the Australian TV series Stuff the British Stole, which airs on ABC.
The Parthenon marbles, taken by Lord Elgin from the Acropolis in 1802, have been housed in the British Museum since 1832.
Turkey recently contested the legality of their removal, stating Lord Elgin lacked proper permission from Ottoman authorities.
The British Museum claims the sculptures were not stolen and represent ancient Athenian civilization in a global context.