The growing number of contributions and demands for copies of the last edition of "Spoils of War" is a positive and reassuring signal to the editorial board from the international community. The need for information about the cultural losses of the Second World War, even more than fifty years after the end of the war shows that it has still left deep emotional and intellectual wounds. The positive reaction to the newsletter also shows that openness in sharing information is possible and desired. The editorial board is pleased that so many official institutions and specialists are willing to publish, without too many restraints, their working-methods, their discoveries and even their policies.

From the angle of distribution we are glad to say that the newsletter is now read in more than 30 countries. In our opinion it is very important that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in several European countries (such as Belgium, Germany, Hungary etc.) passed on the newsletter "Spoils of War" to their embassies and diplomatic legations in the countries concerned. We indirectly take this development as a compliment for the apolitical and informative character of the newsletter. This gives an extra dimension and an input to further construct this international network of specialists and official institutions.

The newsletter has developed into a link between East and West in the matter of World War II losses. Western as well as more and more Eastern European specialists publish their articles in "Spoils of War" or ask for extra copies. Although a time barrier of fifty years, years of non-rapprochement, existed between Eastern and Western European colleagues and although the collaborators to "Spoils of War" are mostly thousands of kilometers apart, these practical obstacles do not stand in the way of a closer cooperation. This led the current editorial board during the meeting in Budapest to propose the enlargement of the redaction committee with two renowned Eastern European colleagues. They will be introduced in the next board meeting and the third number of "Spoils of War".

The editorial board wants to draw the attention to the Russian law-proposal "about the right of ownership of cultural treasures, which in consequence of the Second World War were brought into the sovereign territory of the Russian Federation". In this number we give a brief account of it's contents. In the next number there will be extensive coverage of this legal development in the Russian Federation.

We are convinced that next year will be crucial in the field of restitution of cultural losses concerning the Second World War. Whatever policies will be adopted will have an important impact on the future proceedings of the international protection of patrimonies.

Last but not least, we want to thank the Ministry of Culture of Hungary for the organization of the last meeting of the editorial board in Budapest.

Yours sincerely
FODOR,István, Budapest
LEISTRA, Josefine, The Hague
LEMMERMEIER, Doris, Bremen
LUST, Jacques, Brussels