北京观象台天文仪器之被劫与归还史事拾补

Astronomical Instruments, Diplomacy and the Scientific Community: The Looting and Return of the Peking Ancient Observatory’s Instruments

近代劫掠文物事件中,北京观象台天文仪器的被劫和归还是最具戏剧性的。1900年,义和团攻击北京使馆区,列强派出军队驰援。8月15日,联军攻占北京。12月2日,驻京德法部队径自协商拆走观象台天文仪器,这一掠夺行动不但在驻京联军中造成龃龉,也随即在英美等国报纸的宣传下,成为了遍传世界的国际丑闻。法国首先在国际压力下归还所掠天文仪器;德国则坚持所得,将之运往德皇波茨坦行宫无忧园作为战利品陈设。天文仪器被劫往德国后,德国国内舆论波澜甚巨,部分报章与政党曾表态应归还中国,惟在国会中决议并未通过。此后近二十年间,美国大众媒体持续追踪,加以天文学家介入,促使美国政府支持将之归还中国。一战结束后,交战各国于巴黎召开和会,签订凡尔赛和约,1921年5月6日天文仪器终得依约返归原处。百余年来,这一事件尚有许多疑点并未被厘清,本文仅就近年发现之中西史料,将天文仪器被掠与西方报导之蜂起、德美帅将之争、载沣访德与德人对抢掠之外交粉饰、一战爆发与美国天文学家的介入诸事件稍做拾补,还原天文仪器被劫与归还之重要历程。

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.