European Shoah Legacy Institute
The European Shoah Legacy Institute (ESLI) is a public-benefit corporation based in Prague, in the Czech Republic[1] whose purpose is to oversee the return of Jewish art and property seized by the Nazis during The Holocaust.[2]
Background
As a follow-up to the Terezin Declaration, the European Shoah Legacy Institute was created on January 20, 2010. The Institute was incorporated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The public benefit corporation cooperates with governments and non-governmental organizations to seek solutions for the restitution of immovable property, art, Judaica and Jewish cultural assets, adequate social welfare for Holocaust survivors, and the promotion of Holocaust education, research, and remembrance.[3] The Institute serves as a vehicle or catalyst for the parties already active in this field, helping them to identify and develop best practices and guidelines of work. The sphere of action of the Institute is international, involving the European Union, other European countries, as well as countries from all around the world. The Institute also works closely with non-European states, particularly with the United States and Israel.[4] Aside from promoting the issue of restitution or compensation for Holocaust era assets, the Institute participates in a variety of other activities dealing with the legacy of the Holocaust in all its aspects.
Oversight of the Institute is conducted by an Administrative Board and monitored by a Supervisory Board. The Administrative Board is composed solely of Czech citizens, while the Supervisory board may include international representatives of partner organizations with the Institute. The Advisory Council consists of international participants, typically experts in their fields, who serve as the consulting body to the Director of ESLI. Members of the Honorary Board introduce and promote the Institute on the highest levels of world politics.
