WJRO Welcomes Announcement of New Expert Committee and Restitution Framework

(New York, NY – May 11, 2025) — The World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) welcomes the announcement by Flemish Minister of Culture Caroline Gennez to create an expert committee to address the issue of Nazi-looted art and to begin the development of a framework for provenance research and restitution in Flanders.

“This is a long-overdue and meaningful step toward justice for victims of the Holocaust and their families,” said Gideon Taylor, President WJRO and Mark Weitzman, Chief Operating Officer (WJRO). “We commend Minister Gennez for her leadership and call on Belgium’s federal and regional governments to work together to ensure that looted cultural property is returned, and history is acknowledged. Justice delayed must not be justice denied.”

This significant initiative marks the first formal step by the Flemish government, which governs the Dutch-speaking northern region of Belgium, to investigate and respond to claims regarding artworks stolen from Jewish families during the Holocaust and World War II. The announcement comes after years of inaction in Belgium, where neighboring countries have already established public databases and active restitution committees.

“Unlike other occupied countries such as the Netherlands or France, we have remained passive for too long,” Minister Gennez said. “Art that has been stolen or sold under duress must be returned to its rightful owners.”

A six-person expert committee will be led by historian and emeritus professor Bruno De Wever and will include specialists in law, history, and art history. The committee will be tasked with developing a formal restitution structure, with the goal of establishing a permanent restitution commission to advise on claims.

While the current initiative focuses on Flanders, many looted artworks and cultural objects also reside in federal institutions and museums within the French Community. Belgium faces a complex task ahead to coordinate efforts across jurisdictions and fully address the legacy of looted art within its borders.

WJRO stands ready to support and collaborate with the Flemish government and relevant institutions to help ensure that this process is thorough, transparent, and meaningful for families seeking answers, acknowledgment, and restitution.

Background

During the Holocaust, hundreds of thousands of works of art, ceremonial objects, books, and cultural treasures were looted from Jewish individuals and communities across Europe, including in Belgium. Before the Holocaust, approximately 66,000 Jews lived in Belgium; today, the community numbers around 29,000 most living in Brussels and Antwerp. While many countries have undertaken systematic provenance research and restitution efforts over the past two decades, Belgium has lagged behind.

In 2024, Stolen Jewish Legacies: The Fate of the Andriesse Collection—the first exhibition on looted art in Belgium—was presented by the Jewish Digital Cultural Recovery Project (JDCRP), in cooperation with the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), along with the Jewish Museum of Belgium and the Belgian Ministry of Economy. The exhibition helped raise awareness about looted art in Belgium and the lives of Jewish collectors impacted by Nazi plunder.