Poland Repatriates 91 Nazi-Looted Jewish Artifacts to Greece in Historic First for Holocaust Restitution

Poland repatriates 91 sacred Jewish artifacts to Greece, including Torah scrolls stolen by Nazis in 1941, marking a major milestone in Holocaust restitution.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 4, 2026, 8:17 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency

A Sacred Return to the Jerusalem of the Balkans

A collection of 91 religious and ceremonial artifacts, stolen from the Jewish community of Thessaloniki over 80 years ago, has been officially returned to the Greek government. The repatriation ceremony held on Wednesday in Warsaw included the transfer of Torah scrolls, satin synagogue napkins, and silver finials that once adorned the rollers of sacred manuscripts. These objects represent a vital link to the history of Thessaloniki, a port city that was home to a thriving Jewish population that once constituted half of its residents. The return is viewed as a significant step in acknowledging the cultural devastation caused by the Nazi occupation of Greece in 1941.

The Path of the Looted Treasures

The artifacts were originally seized by the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg, a notorious Nazi agency dedicated to plundering Jewish valuables across Europe. After being taken from homes and synagogues in Greece, the items were transported to Nazi depots in southwestern Poland. They remained hidden until they were rediscovered at a castle in Bożków following the conclusion of World War II. In 1951, the Polish Ministry of Culture transferred the collection to the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, where the objects remained for over seven decades before provenance research confirmed their Greek origins.

International Cooperation and Restitution Advocacy

The successful return of these items follows years of advocacy by the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) and a formal request submitted by the Greek government in 2024. Gideon Taylor, president of the WJRO, described the act as a milestone in international cooperation for Holocaust era justice. While Poland has faced criticism in the past for its lack of comprehensive private property restitution laws, this specific repatriation of cultural property held by the state is being hailed as a potential shift toward a more systematic approach to historical grievances.