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| Astronomical Instruments, Diplomacy and the Scientific Community: The Looting and Return of the Peking Ancient Observatory's Instruments |
| CHOU Wei-chiang |
| Department of Rare Boobs and Historical Documents, Taipei Palace Museum, Taipei 11143, China |
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Abstract Among the acts of plunder of Chinese cultural relics by foreigners in modern history, the looting of the astronomical instruments of Beijing (Peking) Ancient Observatory was perhaps the most dramatic. Looting by German and French troops stationed in Beijing began on December 2, 1900. Their actions not only embarrassed the multinational forces, but also were immediately reported by the British and American press across the world. France returned the instruments to China under international pressure, but Germany insisted on retaining them, and transported the relics to the garden at Sanssouci in Potsdam. They were later moved to the Orangerieschloss nearby. It was not until 1919, after the end of World War I, that the astronomical instruments were returned to China under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The looting and return of the astronomical instruments of the Beijing Ancient Observatory was a complex international political event. There are still many uncertainties surrounding the incident. This article intends to clarify some of these uncertainties using recently discovered details from historical archives and newspapers.
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Received: 20 June 2019
Published: 21 June 2021
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Cite this article:
CHOU Wei-chiang. Astronomical Instruments, Diplomacy and the Scientific Community: The Looting and Return of the Peking Ancient Observatory's Instruments. Studies in the History of Natural Sciences, 2019, 38(4): 405-439.
URL:
http://www.shns.ac.cn/ OR http://www.shns.ac.cn/Y2019/V38/I4/405
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