In other words, when the president talks darkly about the menace of property restitution claims by millions of Germans, it is the political equivalent of a warplane firing out chaff: a defensive distraction rather than a sign it is about to launch an imminent attack.

ECONOMIST: European politics

In his role as President of the Intergovernmental Committee for the promotion of the return of cultural property to its country of origin or its restitution in case of illegal export, his diplomacy and spirit of cooperation empowered him to overcome obstacles to the work of the Committee, and the high quality of his contributions have always been appreciated.

UNESCO: CULTURE

"The monetary restitution is really secondary to the acknowledgment of the loss of the cultural heritage that the people suffered by not having their property returned to them after the war, " Mr Dubbin said.

BBC: US in dock over Nazi loot