Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets

Background

In December 1998, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum hosted the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets, which was attended by delegates from forty-four countries and thirteen NGOs. The focus of the discussion was the confiscation of assets by the Nazis during the Holocaust, including art, communal property, archives, books and insurance claims. On the subject of looted art, eleven principles were defined as best practice and a means for the participating nations and to resolve the issue within the context of their differing laws and legal systems.

Principles

Proceedings

Vilnius Conference

Prague Conference

• Washington Conference - Ronald S. Lauder Speech