This article examines the newly established arbitration tribunal in Germany concerning Nazilooted art during the Second World War. The tribunal replaces the former Advisory Commission that had been created to resolve such disputes and seeks to provide binding decisions. It represents a novel form of specialized arbitration for cultural disputes, distinguished by several innovative features. These include the possibility of unilateral recourse through the standing offer mechanism, the constitution of an interdisciplinary arbitral panel incorporating expertise from fields such as art history, and the application of the so-called Assessment Framework to the substantive resolution of claims. Beyond its procedural design, the institution operates as a mechanism for the institutional assumption of historical responsibility, integrating elements of moral redress and collective memory.
Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management