The Federal Archives has a large number of archival records that are of key importance when researching cases of unlawful confiscation of cultural property, determining the origin of cultural property, and tracking restitution, reparation, and compensation claims. The Federal Archives covers all central government activities in Germany from the German Empire to the Federal Republic of Germany. It provides information on the structures, institutions, actions, and individuals who engaged in these activities as well as those who suffered damage because of them.
When conducting your research, please note that there are gaps in the record holdings of the Federal Archives as a consequence of war, specifically due to bombings, efforts to relocate files to protect them from damage, confiscation measures taken by the Allied Powers, and the deliberate destruction of documents by official authorities aiming to remove evidence.
