Guelph Treasure: heirs sue Germany – STAR

I m dispute about the legendary Welfenschatz have sued in a US court, the heir of Jewish art dealer Germany. They accuse the Federal Republic prior to issue non-millionaire medieval church treasure, although it constitutes Nazi-looted art.

The Boston law Nicholas M. O’Donnell told Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Berlin, he had filed the lawsuit in federal court in the US-District of Columbia. With complained was the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, in whose care are the gold relics. The plaintiffs estimate the value of 260 million euros.

Foundation President Hermann Parzinger responded “surprise”. He assume, however, that years of scientific investigation of the case will convince even the US court – should it ever be responsible, he said

Shop by Nazis illegally

In the application it says 1935 had the then owner of the Guelph Treasure, four Jewish art dealer, the collection must sell far below value under pressure from the Nazis. The transaction was therefore unlawful and void.

“If Germany were to say something else, it would still 2015 Goering’s looting expressly approve” it says in the lawsuit. It was also made available at a short notice convened press conference in Berlin on Tuesday.

Both the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and the so-called Limbach Commission, however, had stated that there was no evidence of NS -Raubkunst. The arbitration committee headed by the former Federal Constitutional Court President Jutta Limbach said the treasure therefore in 2014 – in a terrible binding decision – the Prussia Foundation

treasure acquired from Guelph

The plaintiffs – Alan Philipp (London) and Gerald Stiebel (USA) – The Panel had time to call. In its statement now they call this method, however, as a “sham trial”. You have 2014, the same discrimination learn how their relatives during the Nazi period.

According to the lawyer, Markus H. Marburger Stötzel, who represents the case together with O’Donnell’s office, is clear from the file that the former art dealer was the rightful owner of the treasure. You had purchased it in 1929 for 7.5 million Reichsmarks from the noble house of Welf.

The applicants are a grandson and a great-nephew of the former seller. “Our clients still represent all operators, whether family members of former owners claim to have the Guelph Treasure” Stötzel said. They would have been forced to sue in a US court because the German civil law still does not offer adequate handle for redress of Nazi injustice.