Art Ashes works across the field of restitution by providing guidance and funding to education initiatives and Nazi-looted art restitution cases at various stages of recovery. The organization supports researchers and attorneys, along with claimants and heirs, to recover and tell the story of each looted object, its original collectors, and the history of Nazi-looting and profiteering.
To assist in the recovery of looted artwork, Art Ashes provides funding for provenance, legal, and genealogical research to augment cases and is positioned to connect claimants to law firm representation as needed.
Upon successful resolution of a restitution claim, Art Ashes would receive a portion of the recovery. Art Ashes' share of such recovery would be used to reimburse its funding in order to support subsequent cases, with an additional portion donated to nonprofit organizations that aid Holocaust Survivors living in or near poverty.
During the Holocaust, in their attempt to erase Jewish heritage and culture, the Nazis and their collaborators systematically stole hundreds of thousands*can we check this number of valuable works of art and cultural objects. The objects varied in use and value but include paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, silver, furniture and other cultural artifacts that were taken from museums, private collections, and religious institutions.
The Nazis established a vast network of institutions and individuals responsible for the systematic looting of art from Jewish families. This included the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR), a special task force that was created to seize cultural property from occupied countries. They also relied on art dealers and collectors who were willing to purchase looted art from the Nazis, often at a fraction of its true value in forced sales
After the war, much of this stolen art was recovered by Allied forces. However, many pieces of art remain unaccounted for to this day. Some were sold to private collectors or museums, while others were destroyed or lost over time. The sheer scale of the theft and the complexity of the international art market make it difficult to trace the whereabouts of many of these missing works.
Today, efforts are still being made to locate and recover stolen art from the Holocaust era. Organizations like Art Ashes work to identify stolen artworks and return them to their rightful owners or their heirs. The restitution process can be lengthy and complicated, but it provides an opportunity to bring a measure of justice to the victims of Nazi art theft and their families.
The Advisory Board of Art Ashes is composed of senior art professionals and scholars, alongside business leaders and top attorneys with extensive experience overseeing complex litigations, including Holocaust restitutions.
