IV 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 371 
Strongly supporting an immediate and just restitution of, or compensation 
for, property illegally confiscated during the last century by Nazi and 
Communist regimes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2008 
Mr. WEXLER (for himself, Mr. GALLEGLY, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. ENGEL, 
Mr. CHABOT, and Mr. HASTINGS of Florida) submitted the following con-
current resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Strongly supporting an immediate and just restitution of, 
or compensation for, property illegally confiscated during 
the last century by Nazi and Communist regimes. 
Whereas the United States strongly supports an immediate 
and just restitution or compensation of property illegally 
confiscated during the last century by Nazi and Com-
munist regimes; 
Whereas the wrongful and illegal confiscation of property per-
petrated by Nazi and Communist regimes was often an 
integral part of the persecution of innocent people due to 
their religion, nationality, or social origin, or the expres-
sion of a view that differed from that of the ruling re-
gime; 
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•HCON 371 IH 
Whereas the protection of and respect for property rights is 
a basic principle tenet for all democratic governments 
that operate according to the rule of law; 
Whereas the participating countries of the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have agreed 
to achieve or maintain full recognition and protection of 
all types of property, including private property, and the 
right to prompt, just, and effective compensation in the 
event private property is taken for public use; 
Whereas the Paris Declaration of the OSCE Parliamentary 
Assembly (OSCE Assembly) in July 2001 noted that the 
process of restitution, compensation, and material repara-
tion of victims of Nazi persecution has not been pursued 
with the same degree of comprehensiveness by all of the 
OSCE participating countries; 
Whereas the OSCE Assembly passed a resolution during the 
10th session that urged the OSCE participating countries 
to ensure that they implement appropriate legislation to 
secure the restitution of, or compensation for, both prop-
erty loss by victims of Nazi persecution and property loss 
by communal organizations and institutions or their suc-
cessors during the Nazi era, irrespective of the current 
citizenship or place of residence of victims or their heirs, 
or the relevant successor to communal property; 
Whereas the Government of the United States has, since 
1949, with the passing of Military Law 47 in the occu-
pied American Zone of Germany, supported the return of 
property looted during the National Socialist era to the 
rightful owners, or the heirs, of such property; 
Whereas during the last decade, Congress has passed resolu-
tions that endorsed, reiterated, and emphasized the long 
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•HCON 371 IH 
standing support of the United States for the restitution 
and compensation for property illegally confiscated dur-
ing the Nazi and Communist regimes; 
Whereas some post-Communist countries in Europe have 
taken steps toward compensating victims whose property 
was seized and confiscated by the Nazis during World 
War II or subsequently seized by Communist govern-
ments after World War II; 
Whereas the legislation addressing the return of or com-
pensation for such confiscated property enacted by post- 
Communist countries in Europe has, in various instances, 
not been implemented in an effective, transparent, and 
timely manner; 
Whereas private properties were seized and confiscated by the 
Nazis in occupied Poland during the Nazi era and by the 
Communist Polish government after World War II; 
Whereas Poland, virtually alone among post-Communist 
countries, has failed to enact any legislation that provides 
for a process for the restitution of, or compensation for, 
private property seized and confiscated by the Nazi and 
Communist regimes; 
Whereas Jewish communal properties were seized and con-
fiscated by the Nazis in Lithuania during the Nazi era 
and by the Communist Lithuanian government after 
World War II; and 
Whereas Lithuania, virtually alone among post-Communist 
countries, has failed to implement legislation that pro-
vides for the restitution of, or compensation for, Jewish 
communal property seized and confiscated by the Nazi 
and Communist regimes: Now, therefore, be it 
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