WJRO Bosnia and Herzegovina Operations
Bosnia and Herzegovina has no law for the restitution of immovable communal or private property confiscated during the Holocaust era.
In the absence of legislation dealing with the restitution of communal property, the return of religious property has been handled on an ad hoc basis, often at the discretion of local authorities. The Jewish Community has identified 130 formerly Jewish-owned communal properties and has signed an agreement with the WJRO to establish a joint foundation which will receive and manage any restituted communal property.
In 2005, the government’s Council of Ministers established a Commission for the Restitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina to consider various approaches to the restitution of property confiscated during and after World War II. Based on the Commission’s research, draft restitution legislation – the “Law on Denationalization” – was prepared, but has made no significant progress.