The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act

In this presentation, the potential effects on Germany and Europe of the new HEAR Act (Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act) will be analysed. This Act is a U.S. federal law that helps Holocaust survivors and their heirs to recover Nazi-confiscated art and cultural property. It eliminates expiration deadlines (sunset clauses), standardizes the timeline to six years from discovery, and allows claims against foreign entities regardless of state immunity. Originally passed in December 2016 under the Obama administration, then permanently extended and expanded under the updated HEAR Act of 2025, signed into law on April 13, 2026.