CZECH REPUBLIC Rychetsky Commission The Rychetsky Commission, formed by then prime minister Pavel Rychetsky in March 1999, was initiated to promote efforts to return Jewish communal property seized by German authorities and later by the Communist regime. Among the members of the commission were representatives of Czech Jewish communities. An estimated 7,500 artworks have been returned by Czech museums and galleries to Holocaust victims and their families. In 2001, the commission helped establish a Holocaust fund. A third of the fund will be dedicated to providing compensation to noncitizens and others previously unable to regain real property seized by the Nazis. The remainder will be dedicated to restoring Jewish sacred sites in the Czech Republic. The commission concluded its work in March 2002. Restitution Art Project Database This database, created by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Moravian Museum, displays works of art originally owned by Holocaust victims that are now in public collections in the Czech Republic. The Ministry of Culture carries out this work as part of the research pertaining to certain property “aryanized” during the time of the Holocaust, not returned to its owners after World War II, and stolen again by the Communist regime. The database provides information to original owners or their heirs about where requests can be made for the transfer of ownership for the works of art. For more information regarding this project, please go to http://www.restitution-art.cz Nadační fond obĕtem holocaustu [Endowment Fund for Victims of the Holocaust (EFVH)] The Endowment Fund for Victims of the Holocaust (EFVH) was established in July 2000 and is operated by the Federation of Jewish Associations in the Czech Republic for the purpose of mitigating property injustice caused to Holocaust victims. The Fund supports projects dealing with social and health care issues of Holocaust survivors, focuses on educational activities concerned with Judaism, and supports renovation of Jewish monuments in the Czech Republic. Although application forms can be downloaded from the EFVH web site or obtained directly from the EFVH office in Prague, registration was required by December 31, 2001. For more information, please consult the Fund’s Web site at www.fondholocaust.cz Contact: EFVH Programme Coordinator koordinatorka nadacni cinnosti NFOH: Jarmila Neumannová P.O. Box 103 120 21 Prague 2 Czech Republic Telephone: 420-2-24261615 Fax: 420-2-24262563 E-mail: neumannova@fondholocaust.cz Permanent residents of the Czech Republic, regardless of their religion or ethnicity, should file their claim at: Cesko-nemecký fond budoucnosti Legerova 22 P.O. Box 47 120 49 Prague Czech Republic Tel.: 420-2-2426 2040 Fax: 420-2-2426 3061 http://www.iom.cz Restituční zákon [The Restitution Act] In June 2000, the Czech Parliament passed the Restitution Act enabling claimants to bring their respective claims concerning lost or stolen artwork to the appropriate authorities. Conferences The Czech Republic participated in the London Conference on Nazi Gold. The Czech Republic participated in the Washington Conference on Holocaust-Era Assets. Proceedings of the Washington Conference can be found at: http://www.state.gov/www/regions/eur/holocaust/heac.html The Czech Republic participated in the Vilnius International Forum on Holocaust-Era Looted Cultural Assets. Proceedings of the Forum can be found at: http://www.vilniusforum.lt/proceedings/index.htm