Welcome
Thank you for visiting our website.
he Commission for Art Recovery was established to spur restitution efforts
by European governments in order to help bring a small measure of justice into
the lives of families whose art was seized, confiscated, or wrongfully taken
– on a massive scale -- as a result of the policies of the Third Reich and the
devastation of the Holocaust. I have been honored to serve as its chairman from
its founding in 1997.
We seek to be a force of moral suasion that encourages and assists governments,
museums and other public institutions to identify works of art in their collections
that may have been stolen during the years of the Third Reich, to publicize
information on these works on the Internet and to adopt streamlined procedures
that facilitate the return of these works to their rightful owners.
The problem of stolen art must be recognized as a moral issue that can be solved only with morality as its primary basis. Art must not be withheld from the victims of the Holocaust or their heirs on the basis of legal technicalities, such as statutes of limitation, laws that purport to confiscate or nationalize stolen art or post-war "global" settlements. The art collections that were stolen represented an important aspect of the cultural lives of their owners, and the communities in which they lived, and were often assembled and treasured over several generations.
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Tragically, even though sixty years have passed since the end of the Third
Reich, many difficulties still remain for those who wish to find and recover
their treasured possessions. Locating the missing art, if it has survived, can
sometimes be impossible; even recently, it was a project for specialists who
could read several languages and work in art history libraries. Moreover, even
if a family is fortunate enough to locate and identify its art, the procedures
and policies of the countries where the art is found still pose great obstacles
to the return of the art.
Recognizing the daunting problems facing families that seek to locate and recover
their art, the United States government brought together delegates from 44 countries
to discuss these problems in 1998, for the first time since the end of World
War II. At the end of their discussions, the nations adopted the Washington
Principles – guidelines that would help individuals approach a government without
the daunting time and expense involved in a lawsuit on foreign soil. These principles
were reaffirmed at an international conference in Vilnius, Lithuania in October,
2000.
The Commission for Art Recovery welcomes and supports the principles adopted
in Washington and Vilnius. We are committed to encouraging and assisting governments
to put these principles into practice. Best email address
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The Commission for Art Recovery has actively helped governments to publicize
stolen art in their collections, and we are pleased to note that other public
institutions are also undertaking similar efforts. The Commission for Art Recovery
has also achieved the return of many works of art to their rightful owners.
Unfortunately, much work remains to be done. All governments, museums and
public institutions must review their collections to identify and then publicize
any art in their collections that may have been stolen. In addition, while some
stolen art has been returned, the procedures for the restitution of art remain
complicated, time-consuming and expensive.
The Commission for Art Recovery is working as an advocate to persuade the governments
of several European countries to create a favorable environment by streamlining
procedures and removing regulatory impediments for the return of the art plundered
during one of history’s greatest tragedies. As you explore our website, you
will learn what has been accomplished so far and the plans we have for making
art restitution easier.
Ronald S. Lauder,
Chairman