On February 14, 1997 Dieter Opper died after long suffering from a serious disease. Without Dieter Opper the international newsletter "Spoils of War" would not exist. In his capacity as head of the department of culture of the Senate of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, during the last years he put a special effort to the question of cultural losses connected with World War II. It was his conviction that this problem is a vital one concerning the relations of the Federal Republic of Germany especially with it's neighbors in Middle and Eastern Europe. He pleaded vehemently for a policy of mutual understanding and reconciliation. His approach to the topic was focused by the historical perspective - that it was Nazi-Germany that started not only World War II but also the looting of cultural property. Dieter Opper also stressed the necessity to see the problem of cultural losses due to World War II as a European one. Therefore he initiated the first meeting of experts on this topic from Eastern, Central and Western European countries since the end of the war. This conference - "Cultural Treasures Moved Because of the War - A Cultural Legacy of the Second World War. Documentation and Research on Losses" - took place in Bremen on November 30 to December 2, 1994. He was editor of the documentation of the meeting which was published in 1995. During the conference in Bremen the idea of "Spoils of War" was born. It was Dieter Opper who made the financing of the first issues possible and who supported the editorial board in a very special and encouraging way. The editorial board wants to take this last opportunity to honor this support and to express its gratitude. We are very sad to have lost Dieter Opper.