Under the influence of social and political changes in the second half of the 20th century, the connection between heritage, the society, and identity is brought to question. The development of Western European museums during the 19th century which accompanied the colonialist expansion is critically examined, and requests for the return (repatriation or restitution) of unethically collected objects start to arrive from their places of origin. In turn, he museum community issues regulations and forms committees which would regulate repatriation processes. One of the most famous cases of requested heritage is that of the Parthenon Marbles (formerly the Elgin Marbles), which were brought to Great Britain under dubious circumstances in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin. The first official requests for their return start to arrive from Greece during the 1980s, but the British Museum, their current “owner,” refuses to comply with them. Presenting itself as a universal museum whose collections serve to spread knowledge and tolerance, the British Museum brings to question the connection between heritage and identity. The case of the Parthenon sculptures reveals the politics behind the processes of heritage repatriation, as well as the role the society plays in them. Possible solutions to the problem of repatriation would be the use of modern technology in museums, as well as a higher level of cooperation between museums.