’Unlawfully Lost’ Artwork from the Nazi Takeover: Redefining Forced Sales in the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016

The restitution of Nazi-looted artwork has become a prevalent topic in both the news and media, largely due to movies such as The Monuments Men and Woman in Gold. Behind the scenes, however, are real lives, real stories, and oftentimes desperate attempts to reclaim lost artwork. The Nazi era saw a systematic takeover of the property and rights of all Jewish individuals and families as the crimes that took place over twelve years stretched beyond violence, persecution, and ostracism. Since 1945, the United States has made substantial efforts to rectify the actions taken by the Nazis, but the country is limited in what it can do because of the narrow definitions imposed by current restitution laws.