THE RETURN OF CONFISCATED LAND AND PROPER TY IN THE NEW LANDER - THE PROCESS AND ITS REGIONAL DIFFERENTIATION

The unification of Germany has led to claims for the restitution of mo re than 2.47 million separate pieces of property confiscated under the auspices of either the Third Reich or the government of the East Germ any. The legal and administrative task is a huge challenge to the new Germany with far-reaching implications for the social and economic fab ric of the country. This paper examines the nature and scale of the re stitution claims and how they are being settled across the five new Ge rman states (Bundeslander) and Berlin. It reveals a picture of conside rable progress overall, but with substantial regional variations betwe en the different states.