Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the New York State Department of Financial Services’ Holocaust Claims Processing Office, which assists Holocaust victims and their heirs recover stolen assets, has helped secure and return over $183 million in compensation to victims and their heirs for bank, insurance, and other material losses. Additionally, through this initiative, the Department of Financial Services has facilitated settlements involving over 250 cultural objects since its inception in 1997.
“With each passing year our living memory of the Holocaust may get further away, but it is imperative that we stand firm in our goal of dispelling antisemitism,” Governor Hochul said. “Hate has no home in New York – and my administration remains committed to uplifting Holocaust survivors and their families while continuing to honor the memory of the six million lives taken far too soon.”
Superintendent of Financial Services Adrienne A. Harris said, “At DFS, we are committed to honoring survivors and delivering justice to those who suffered through the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust. The Department will continue working to return these invaluable cultural artifacts and facilitate the restitution of long-lost artworks for Holocaust victims and their families.”
The Holocaust Claims Processing Office (HCPO) is a unit of the New York State Department of Financial Services. It was created to help Holocaust victims and their heirs recover assets deposited in banks; unpaid proceeds of insurance policies issued by European insurers; and artworks that were lost, looted, or sold under duress. The HCPO does not charge claimants for its services. Since its inception, the HCPO has responded to thousands of inquiries and received claims from all 50 U.S. states and 53 countries.
Under the direction of Superintendent Harris, HCPO has announced the resolution of Nazi Looted Art Claims for four paintings and ten 18th Century Chasubles from the Collection of Johann Bloch, completed the first joint recovery with the Carabinieri for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, and alongside the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SPK), returned three paintings to the heirs of Dr. Ismar Littmann. For more information, visit the HCPO website.
