Report lashes France’s ‘lack of ambition’ to return looted Jewish art

An internal French government report criticizes the “inefficiency and lack of ambition” of official efforts to return art looted from Jews during World War II.

The report, seen by AFP, was commissioned by the country’s last culture minister and is scathing about the “40 years of inaction” over thousands of artworks confiscated from Jews during the Nazi occupation or which they were forced to sell for less than their real value.

“The state and the national museums in particular are paying for 40 years of inaction,” says its author David Zivie, a top civil servant and heritage expert.

France has stepped up its efforts in recent years to return looted art to its rightful owners, using geneological experts to trace families.

But the report says even this was “insufficient because of the lack of coordination, management, and visibility.”

Zivie urged the government to set up a special service dedicated to returning the art, with some 2,108 objects that once belonged to Jews still in national collections.

— AFP