Estonia

Synagogue in Tallinn

Property restitution in Estonia began in the 1990s. There were only a few pre-war Jewish religious or communal properties (which were primarily leased), some of which have been returned, including the former Jewish school in Tallinn, which is now serving, among other functions, as the community headquarters and synagogue.

Tallinn Jewish Cemetery

The law for the restitution of private property, the Principles of Ownership Reform Act (1991), does not have a citizenship or residence requirement, includes both Nazi and Communist expropriations, and private property restitution has, apparently, been largely completed.

Resources and Links

• ESLI Overview of Immovable Property Restitution/Compensation Regimes – Estonia
  European Shoah Legacy Institute
  December 2016

• US Department of State – Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act Repor

• July, 2020 – Estonia – Contents on page 61

Relevant Press Releases & News

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) and the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) announce the publication of a report on the looting of the Julius Genss collection, the principal Estonian Jewish art collector, during the Holocaust