This Documentation Centre (further just Centre) was founded November 1st. 2001 upon a decision of the Joint Working Governmental Committee (headed by the vice-chairman of the Czech government Pavel Rychetsky, PhD) by adoption of the resolution nr. 773 of the Czech government from November 1998.  This Committee finished its activities in May 2002 and the Centre is the follow up of earlier activities of a group of researchers working on the clarification of the historical and economical questions in connection with the confiscated Jewish property, in particular art objects. Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic the Centre has extended its activities to the field of heuristic research in Czech and foreign archives, museums and galleries. The mission and the acticities of the Centre were approved by the Czech government resolution nr. 87 from January 22nd 2003 in the ,,Concept of Effectual Care of the Movable Property of Cultural Heritage in the Czech Republic in the Years 2003-2008.“ In 2006 the Czech Government approved financing of the Centre activities for 2007 – 2011. In the year 2006 – Czech Parliament decided to cancel the restitution limit for the Act 212, (signed by President on November 30, 2006).

The Centre is a division of the Institute of Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Science.