The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act was enacted to help Holocaust heirs recover art stolen from their families during World War II. The Act will finally be put to the test in a New York court, as the heirs of Fritz Grunbaum are looking to claim two valuable drawings by Egon Schiele. The heirs claim that Grunbaum’s collection, which included eighty-one Schieles, was confiscated by the Nazis. Countering that argument, collectors, dealers, and some museums argue that the Nazis did not steal it and that Grunbaum’s sister-in-law sold fifty-three of the Schieles to an art dealer in 1956. Further, the opponents argue that previous courts have found that they were not stolen. Ultimately, the heirs hope the Act will help them prove they are victims of Nazi art looting.
See William D. Cohan, A Suit over Schiele Drawings Invokes New Law on Nazi-Looted Art, N.Y. Times, February 27, 2017.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
