During National Socialist rule in Austria (1938-1945), real estate and movable Jewish communal property became the subject of systematic confiscation. In most cases, real estate owned by Jews was 'aryanized' through involuntary sales or confiscated through direct governmental action. Other Jewish property assets, including religious and cultural property, were also confiscated without compensation. After 1945, a part of the confiscated real estate in Austria was the subject of restitution proceedings. In many cases, the properties were either returned to their original owners or an agreement was made for suitable monetary compensation. Other confiscated properties became public property. In the Washington Agreement of 2001, the Republic of Austria agreed to embark on in rem restitution of property, allowing the restoration of property which had become public property, to its former owners or their heirs. An Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution was established, and in due course has begun to publish the reports of its deliberations. The Arbitration Panel can recommend an in rem restitution of publicly-owned property which had been confiscated but had not been the subject of restitution proceedings after 1945. In many cases, restitution proceedings had already occurred after 1945, but even in these cases the Arbitration Panel can act if new evidence has arisen or if the earlier proceedings resulted in 'extreme injustice.' 366 claims were judged to have met application requirements, and these cases have subsequently been the subject of careful juridical and historical investigation. The volumes in this series reproduce the judgments of the Arbitral Panel on those 366 claims. As such they represent a significant body of case law on Nazi expropriations and property restitution affecting a large number of applicants worldwide. The substance of these judgements will be of intense legal and historical interest.

The series "Decisions of the Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution" documents a fundamental element of Austria's most recent compensation measures dealing with the consequences of the National Socialist era. The possibility of in rem restitution of property seized during the National Socialist era which is now publicly-owned was provided for by the Washington Agreement of 2001. The Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution, established with the General Settlement Fund for Victims of National Socialism in Vienna, decides on applications for restitution. For the most part, the applications concern real estate that was confiscated between 1938 and 1945, was publicly-owned on the Agreement cut off day (17 January 2001) and in many cases had already been the subject of restitution proceedings after 1945. Since 2003, the Arbitration Panel has decided on a great number of applications and has recommended the restitution of property to the former owners or their legal successors in several cases. In the course of these decisions based on the General Settlement Fund Law, the Arbitration Panel has developed a complex case law. Volume 6 contains twelve decisions of the Arbitration Panel from 2008 and 2009, each in the German original and with an English translation.

The series Decisions of the Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution continues to document a fundamental element of Austria's most recent compensation measures dealing with the consequences of the National Socialist era. The possibility of in rem restitution of property seized during the National Socialist era, which is now publicly-owned, was provided for by the Washington Agreement of 2001. The Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution, established with the General Settlement Fund for Victims of National Socialism in Vienna, decides on applications for restitution. For the most part, the applications concern real estate that was confiscated between 1938 and 1945, that was publicly-owned on the Agreement cut off day (January 17, 2001), and, in many cases, had already been the subject of restitution proceedings after 1945. Since 2003, the Arbitration Panel has decided on a great number of applications and has recommended the restitution of property to the former owners or their legal successors in several cases. In the course of these decisions, based on the General Settlement Fund Law, the Arbitration Panel has developed a complex case law. Volume 5 of this series contains 15 decisions of the Arbitration Panel from 2007 and 2008, each in the original German text and with an English translation. (Series: Decisions of the Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution - Vol. 5)

The series Decisions of the Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution documents one of Austria's most recent compensation measures, dealing with the consequences of the National Socialist era. For property which was seized during the National Socialist era and is now publicly owned, the possibility of in rem restitution was provided for in the Washington Settlement Agreement of January 17, 2001. The Arbitration Panel for In Rem Restitution, established with the General Settlement Fund in Vienna, decides on applications for restitution. For the most part, the applications concern real estate that was confiscated between 1938 and 1945, was publicly owned on the Agreement cut off day (January 17, 2001), and in many cases had already been the subject of restitution proceedings after 1945. Since 2003, the Arbitration Panel has decided on a great number of applications and has recommended the restitution of property to the legal successors of former owners in several cases. In the course of these decisions, the Arbitration Panel has developed a complex case law. Volume 3 contains 12 decisions of the Arbitration Panel from 2006, each in the German original along with an English translation. The book will be of great interest to international lawyers, legal advisors to Jewish victims of Nazism, legal historians, and scholars of property restitution in the UK, US, Australia, and New Zealand.