Agents of Repair: The International Tracing Service and the United Restitution Organization in the Making of Postwar Restitution

This article explores the underappreciated roles of the International Tracing Service and the United Restitution Organization as vital bureaucratic and legal agents of postwar restitution. Initially focused on humanitarian tracing activities, the International Tracing Service gradually transformed into a central archival and administrative authority within the complex reparations landscape. Concurrently, the United Restitution Organization emerged as a crucial advocate, guiding Holocaust survivors through legal compensation claims. Analysing intersections and tensions between these institutions reveals deeper bureaucratic and ethical challenges in postwar justice. This study contributes significantly to Holocaust historiography by emphasizing how institutional practices shaped collective memory, victim narratives, and broader understandings of justice, agency, and historical repair.