Jewish cultural heritage

Motion for a Resolution

Doc. 7872

3 July 1997

presented by Mr Emanuelis Zingeris and others

 

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

 

 

1.The dispersal of Jewish cultural collections by Nazis during the Second World War has caused great damage not only to the development of this nation's culture, but also to European culture as a whole.

 

2.The plundering of European Jewish cultural property was a well arranged and organised action based on a specific plan that started even before the Second World War and, unfortunately, has been fully implemented. This action was guided by well prepared academic Nazi groups, such as the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Group.

 

3.The Assembly considers that it is important to trace the process of the plundering of Jewish cultural property, and if possible, return it to where it originally belonged or, in the first instance, provide access. This, in turn, would contribute to the restoration of part of the cultural landscape of Europe.

 

4.Since the earlier reports on Jewish culture prepared by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, namely, Mr Martinez' report on the Jewish contribution to European culture (Resolution 885 (1987)) and Mr Zingeris' report on Yiddish culture (Recommendation 1291 (1996)) did not deal (in detail) with the issue of the return of specific Jewish cultural property, the Assembly calls for an evaluation of the loss of the Jewish cultural heritage and an estimation of the damage incurred by it.

 

 

Signed: (1)

Zingeris, Lithuania, EDG

Hooper, United Kingdom, EDG

Martinez, Spain, SOC

Iwinski, Poland, SOC

Terborg, Germany, SOC

Barsony, Hungary, SOC

Berg, Norway, EDG

B�hler, Germany, EPP

de Marco, Malta, EPP

Dundee, United Kingdom, EDG

Elo, Finland, SOC

Gelderblom-Lankhout, Netherlands, LDR

Hadjidemetriou, Cyprus, SOC

Kuzmickas, Lithuania, EDG

Laurinkus, Lithuania, EDG

Ojuland, Estonia, LDR

Patnick, United Kingdom, EDG

Ragnarsd�ttir, Iceland, EDG

Sinka, Latvia, EDG

Staes, Belgium, EPP

Stepov�, Czech Republic, SOC

Szak�l, Hungary, EDG

Toshev, Bulgaria, EPP

W�rnersson, Sweden, SOC

 

 

Note: 1 SOC: Socialist Group

EPP: Group of the European People's Party

EDG: European Democratic Group

LDR: Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

NR: Not registered in any political group