Prof. Dr. Avraham Weber Lecture: “From Robbery to Reconciliation: How Restitution Rebuilt Jewish Ties to Europe”

Prof. Dr. iur. Avraham Weber, LL.M, will deliver a lecture on the topic of restitution and its impact. The Holocaust wasn’t just mass murder - it was the attempted erasure of Jewish existence itself. Nazi Germany and its collaborators not only exterminated millions but seized homes, businesses, religious treasures, and cultural artifacts across Europe. Eighty years later, survivors and their families still wrestle with the loss—and with the complex ties to the nations where they once lived.

This lecture explores how restitution became more than compensation. From Germany’s groundbreaking post-war settlements to Central and Eastern Europe’s evolving efforts, the return of property and rights has helped rebuild fragile trust between Jewish communities and their former homelands. Prof. Dr. iur. Avraham Weber, LL.M, a leading legal expert who helped shape international restitution efforts, will trace this journey—from early resistance to modern breakthroughs - and explain why restitution remains a moral and strategic necessity for Europe today.

The event will be moderated by Danube Institute’s own Visiting Fellow Adam LeBor, author of Hitler's Secret Bankers: How Switzerland Profited from Nazi Genocide.

Biography

Prof. Dr. iur. Avraham Weber, LL..M, is a lawyer at Weber & Co. specializing in German and European law. Since 2008 he is the consultant to the Ministry for Social Equality chartered by the Israeli government to negotiate with foreign governments for restitution of property and Jewish rights. As of 2023, advises the ministry of Diaspora and fight against Antisemitism. He holds a double Masters degree in Law, and obtained his PhD at Justus Liebig University Giessen in 2015. He was an adjunct Lecturer at Reichman University, Israel, Philipps Marburg University, Germany, and CUNY Brooklyn college. Dr. Weber is currently and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Fordham University, and is a visiting Scholar at the Israel Studies Center at NYU.

Due to his academic studies in Germany followed by work experience at the German Bundestag, Dr. Weber holds good contacts and knowledge of both Israeli and German Political, Academical and Economical circles. Between 2005 - 2013 he was a board member of the Israeli German chamber of commerce (IHK) and as of 2010 is a member founder of the Czech Israeli chamber of commerce, and legal advisor of the chamber. In 2012 he was appointed by the Tel Aviv Bar association to chair the Czech Tel Aviv lawyers friendship association. As of August 2020, he is a member of the board of EVZ fund (Remembrance, Past, and Future) [reelected for 2nd term until 2028], A German Federal Public fund dealing with the memory of the Holocaust and aiding survivors. On September 2024 he was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz by the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. His main fields of practice are public law and international law, with the emphasis of interstate negotiation.

Details:

Date: June 10, 2025
Time: 5.30PM – 7:15PM
Venue: Lónyay-Hatvany Villa, 1 Csónak Street, 1015 Budapest
(Entrance: Aranybástya Restaurant)
Language: English

Participation is free; however, due to limited seating, pre-registration is required by clicking the button below.