Die schweizerische Restitutionspraxis im Lichte der Washingtoner Prinzipien

In Switzerland, since the signing of the Washington Declaration in 1998, the lack of uniform standards has resulted in an essentially amorphous and contourless decision-making practice that has not yet been the subject of in-depth research. At the same time, the implementation of the Declaration has been the subject of intense debate for a number of years and now once again on the occasion of the creation of the Commission for Historic Cultural Heritage at the turn of 2024. Following a comprehensive survey and analysis of Swiss restitution practice since December 1998, the author is able to derive key decision-making parameters. She pays particular attention to the central concept of “fugitive property” in Switzerland.