About the European Shoah Legacy Institute
Archive notice: The European Shoah Legacy Institute (ESLI) was wound up at the end of August 2017. This page describes the Institute as it was. The website is an independent archive and is not operated by ESLI, its former boards or staff.
The European Shoah Legacy Institute (ESLI) was created in 2010 to monitor progress on and advocate for the provisions of the Terezin Declaration. It worked with governments, non-governmental organizations and independent experts to find international solutions in three broad areas. The first was the restitution of immovable property, art, Judaica and Jewish cultural assets stolen by the Nazis. The second was adequate social welfare support for Holocaust survivors and other victims of Nazism. The third was the promotion of Holocaust education, research and remembrance.
How ESLI was organized
Because its mandate came from the Terezin Declaration and was international, ESLI was set up to have international representation. The Executive Director was assisted by a Secretariat in Prague. Oversight was carried out by an Administrative Board and monitored by a Supervisory Board that included representatives of international partners. Experts took part in decision-making mainly through the Advisory Council, which advised the Executive Director. An Honorary Board introduced and promoted the Institute at the highest levels of world politics. Its members included Yehuda Bauer, Stuart Eizenstat, Simone Veil and Elie Wiesel. The archived staff list is on The Team, and the founding documents are under Founding Documents.
Vision and mission
ESLI stated its vision as "a world in which governments fulfill their promises to Holocaust survivors and other victims of Nazi persecution so that justice is served and injustice is remembered." As tasked by the Terezin Declaration, it monitored and advocated in five unresolved post-Holocaust areas:
- the welfare of Holocaust survivors and other victims of Nazi persecution (Social welfare);
- the restitution and compensation of immovable property (Property issues and Restitution of Immovable Property);
- the recovery of looted art (Looted art);
- the recovery and study of Judaica (Judaica);
- Holocaust education, remembrance and research (Education and remembrance).
ESLI worked internationally. It cooperated closely with the European Union, with individual EU member states and with non-EU countries, and it had a close working relationship with the United States and Israel.
Key milestones, 2009–2017
- 2009: The Holocaust Era Assets Conference in Prague and Terezín ends with the adoption of the Terezin Declaration on 30 June 2009. The Declaration calls for an institute to follow up on its commitments.
- 2010: ESLI is established in Prague. It publishes the Guidelines and Best Practices for the Restitution and Compensation of Immovable (Real) Property, which 43 countries later endorse, and launches the first international poster competition for Holocaust Remembrance Day.
- 2012: The first Provenance Research Training Program workshop takes place in Magdeburg. In November, the Immovable Property Review Conference in Prague brings together 39 countries.
- 2013–2014: Further training workshops take place in Zagreb, Vilnius, Athens and Rome, and the second poster competition is held.
- 2015: The International Conference on Welfare for Holocaust Survivors and Other Victims of Nazi Persecution takes place in Prague, and the Social Welfare Database is launched. "Living with Dignity" seminars and an exhibition follow at the European Parliament.
- 2017: In April, the conference "Unfinished Justice: Restitution and Remembrance" at the European Parliament launches the immovable property restitution study covering all 47 Terezin Declaration countries. At the end of August, ESLI is wound up.
Why ESLI closed
In its closing statement of 22 August 2017, ESLI explained that its services as an umbrella organization were no longer in demand. It said the Holocaust agenda needed a more specialized approach at the European, intergovernmental, transnational and local levels. ESLI thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and the governments of Israel and the United States for their support. It said that its research outputs would stay freely available so that others could continue the work. The full statement is on the home page of this archive.
Frequently asked questions
Where was ESLI based?
ESLI was based in Prague, Czech Republic.
Can I still contact or donate to ESLI?
No. The Institute no longer exists, and its former contact details are kept only as a historical record. This archive does not accept donations.
Who continues ESLI's work today?
The issues are now handled by governments (several have special envoys for Holocaust issues), European institutions, international Jewish and survivor organizations, and local NGOs. ESLI pointed to exactly these levels in its 2017 closing statement.