German woman returns 2,400-year-old Greek relic 50 years after stealing it: ‘Never too late to...’

The column capital will be conserved and exhibited in Ancient Olympia. (AI-generated image)

A German woman recently returned a 2,400-year-old Ionic column capital she stole from Ancient Olympia in the 1960s. She said she was inspired by the University of Münster’s recent restitution of looted antiquities.

The limestone relic, measuring 9 inches high and 13 inches wide, was taken from the Leonidaion — a 4th-century BC guesthouse built to host distinguished visitors to the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The woman, who had kept the artifact for over five decades, voluntarily surrendered it to the university, which facilitated its repatriation, the New York Post reported.

Greek officials received the relic during a ceremony at the Ancient Olympia Conference Center on Friday. The Culture Ministry praised the woman’s “sensitivity and courage,” stating her act proved “it is never too late to do the right thing.”

Culture Secretary General Georgios Didaskalos called the moment “particularly moving,” adding: “This act proves that culture and history know no borders but require cooperation, responsibility, and mutual respect.”

Dr Torben Schreiber, curator of the Archaeological Museum at the University of Münster, said the institution would continue to return any object proven to have been illicitly acquired. “It is never too late to do what is right, moral, and just,” he said.

The column capital will be conserved and exhibited in Ancient Olympia. It marks the third major repatriation by the university in recent years, following the return of the Cup of Louis in 2019 and a Roman-era marble head in 2024.

The Leonidaion, named after benefactor Leonidas of Naxos, remains the largest structure in Olympia’s sanctuary, known for its Ionic colonnades and historical significance.