Biography

Dr Maximilian Felix Chami is a cultural heritage specialist based in the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam. He holds a PhD in Heritage Studies from BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany. Dr Chami previously served as a senior research officer and secretary of the restitution committee at the National Museum of Tanzania (2021–2022), and as a Culture and World Heritage Officer at the UNESCO National Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania (2015–2021). In 2022, he was appointed as a Sensitive Provenance Research Fellow at the University of Göttingen, and in 2023, he joined Open Restitution Africa (ORA) as a researcher, contributing to efforts aimed at improving access to information concerning the restitution of African material culture and human remains. Dr Chami held a research fellowship with the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology at the University of Göttingen, where he focused on colonial heritage and history. His research interests include cultural heritage management, colonial heritage, restitution, and the repatriation of human remains and ethnographic collections.

Current Project

Building on his previous sensitive provenance research on human remains from colonial contexts at the University of Göttingen, Dr Chami’s current work investigates the narratives and memories surrounding German colonial violence, particularly the execution of two prominent chiefs from central Tanzania. His project explores how this history of violence has influenced cultural negotiations and shaped the coping strategies of local communities in mourning their lost leaders.

Email: maxchami@yahoo.com

Recent Publications

Journal articles

Chami, M.F., Ndyanabo, A.S. & Stoecker, H (2025). Finding Solutions for Managing, Protecting, and Promoting Tendaguru Palaeontological Site in Tanzania. Geoheritage 17, 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-025-01092-7.

Chami, M. F. (2024). Restitution and Repatriation of Ancestral, Human Remains from Colonial Contexts in Tanzania. Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage, 13(3), 261–280. https://doi.org/10.1080/21619441.2024.2425899.

Chami, M. F., Ryano, M. P., & Ndyanabo, A. S. (2024). The Archaeology and Cultural Heritage of the Mafia Archipelago, Tanzania: Recommendations for Conservation and Management. Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13505033.2024.2414521.

Chami, M.F & Mjema, E. (2024). Local Community Engagement and Gazettement Approach in Managing and Conserving Pangani Historic Town in Tanzania. Built Heritage 8, 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43238-024-00148-x.

Lwoga, N. B., Chami, M., Kafumu, B., Kisusi, R., & Ndahani, P. (2024). Multivocality and Its Implications for the Representation of Heritage: A Case Study of the Slavery Heritage in Mikindani, Tanzania. Journal of Heritage Management, 9(1): 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/24559296241249242.

Chami, M. F., Simba, A., & Stoecker, H. (2023). Community Awareness and Restitution of Isanzu Ancestors’ Human Remains from the University of Göttingen Collections to Mkalama District, Tanzania. Africa Spectrum, 58(2), 155-178. https://doi.org/10.1177/00020397231202806