Search for the heirs
For art works likely to have been looted or obtained through forced sales, the Origins Unknown Agency (Bureau Herkomst Gezocht) actively seeks to locate the previous owners or the owners' heirs. This has already led to claims by rightful claimants and in some cases the works have now been returned. More than sixty years have passed since the end of the Second World War and many of the surviving family members of Jewish owners who died are spread all over the world. Therefore, when an art work's provenance is known, sometimes particularly exhaustive research is required to find the rightful heirs. In a number of cases, this research has yet to prove fruitful, but it has certainly not been abandoned. It is hoped that old acquaintances of the missing families may perhaps be able to give some indication of where these heirs may be found.
