Warum denn nicht schon früher? Rückgabe und Entschädigungen von Kunst- und Kulturgütern in Österreich zwischen 1945 und 2011

This article deals with the question of why expropriated art and cultural objects in Austria were not returned to their rightful owners sooner. First, the reasons for the topicality of restitution and compensation in Austria and Europe in the 1990s are given. After an overview of restitution and compensation in Austria immediately after 1945, the Act for the Reassessment of Art and Culture and, with it, the regulation for any art and cultural goods that have been in custody of the Federal Monument Office are presented. The last part consists of those legal measures that resulted from the outcomes of the discussions of the 1990s. That is, on the one hand, the establishment of the General Settlement Fund in 2001 and, on the other hand, the adoption of the Restitution Act of 1998 and the 2009 amendment. As to the question posed at the outset – why only now? –answers are provided but a satisfactory explanation for the delay cannot be derived from them.