PARIS — The French government says it has launched a project to return cultural artifacts stolen from Jews in World War II.
The new task force aims to “shed light on cultural assets of dubious origin held by public institutions,” stolen between 1933 and 1945, the culture ministry says in a statement.
Around 2,000 artifacts sent from Germany to France after the war are held in French museums under special status as their owners have not been identified.
Their status also means they should never leave the country.
Researchers will work alongside museums, libraries, archives and the Foreign office to “examine cases one by one, whether they are filed by victims’ families or uncovered by the investigation,” the statement says.
France and Germany signed an agreement last month to improve cooperation on returning seized objects to their rightful owners.
The move comes after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe pledged during last year’s commemorations of the Vel d’Hiv round-up of Jews in 1942 that the culture ministry would take “a much more active role in restitution work.”
— AFP
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