Arts and Entertainment

Heirs Seek Return Of Medieval Art From Germany

Published February 25, 2015 at 11:12 AM CST

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A visitor looks at the the cupola reliquary (Kuppelreliquar) of the so-called 'Welfenschatz' (Guelph Treasure) displayed at the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Berlin, on February 24, 2015. U.S. and British heirs of Nazi-era Jewish art dealers have sued Germany for the return of a mediaeval art treasure worth $250-300 million, their lawyers said. (Tobias Schwarz/AFP/Getty Images)

The descendants of Jewish art dealers are seeking the return of a medieval art collection they say was sold under pressure to Nazi officials. The collection was given to Adolf Hitler as a birthday present in 1935; it is now housed in a Berlin art museum and considered a cultural treasure.

The lawsuit is being filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. because Germany is not recognizing the descendants’ ownership of the art. Here & Now’s Robin Young speaks with Nicholas O’Donnell, head of the Art & Museum Law Group at Sullivan and Worcester Law Firm, is the lead attorney on the lawsuit.

Guest

Nicholas O’Donnell, partner at Sullivan and Worcester Law Firm and editor of the Art Law Report.