Italy Moves to Restore Nazi-Looted Art to Holocaust Victims' Families

Italy’s parliament is advancing unprecedented legislation aimed at creating a formal legal process for returning valuable artworks and cultural property looted by the Nazis and their Fascist allies during the Holocaust.

During World War II, Italy’s Fascist regime under dictator Benito Mussolini was a key member of the Axis powers. Throughout the war, the Nazis carried out widespread looting across Europe, stealing an estimated one-fifth of the continent’s artworks, including many belonging to Italian Jews. Experts believe that more than 100,000 stolen artworks and cultural treasures have still not been returned to their rightful owners.

The renewed effort follows the publication of a comprehensive 2024 report by the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) and the Claims Conference. The study examined 47 countries to assess how well they had implemented the 1998 Washington Conference Principles—non-binding international guidelines that call for identifying and returning Nazi-looted art.

The report found that only seven countries, including Germany, Austria, France, the United States, and the United Kingdom, had made significant progress by establishing national commissions to resolve restitution claims. Italy, by contrast, was classified as having made only "some progress" over the past 25 years.

The WJRO was among the first organizations to welcome the Italian parliament’s initiative. WJRO President Gideon Taylor called the proposed law an extraordinary opportunity to deliver long-overdue moral and legal justice to Holocaust victims and their rightful heirs. While acknowledging that legal and practical details still need to be finalized, Taylor described the legislation as a major breakthrough that would create an important framework for future restitution efforts.