Centre du droit de l'art
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr
Foxes – Grawi Heirs v. City of Düsseldorf
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/foxes-2013-grawi-heirs-v-city-of-dusseldorf-1
Kurt Grawi, a Jewish businessman, was persecuted by the Nazi regime. Before fleeing Germany, he managed to transport the painting "Foxes" to the USA, where he sold it in 1940 to secure a living for himself and his family in exile. In view of the close connection between the persecution and the sale of the painting, the German Advisory Commission recommended the restitution of the "Foxes" to the Grawi heirs. The painting was returned in January 2022.No publisherArtwork/oeuvre d’artKurt GrawiInstitutional facilitator/facilitateur institutionnelCity of DüsseldorfMediation/médiationUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionNegotiation/négociationGrawi HeirsNazi looted art/spoliations naziesSettlement agreement/accord transactionnel2023/04/12 16:10:00 GMT+1PageFoxes – Grawi Heirs v. City of Düsseldorf
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/foxes-2013-grawi-heirs-v-city-of-dusseldorf-1
Kurt Grawi, a Jewish businessman, was persecuted by the Nazi regime. Before fleeing Germany, he managed to transport the painting "Foxes" to the USA, where he sold it in 1940 to secure a living for himself and his family in exile. In view of the close connection between the persecution and the sale of the painting, the German Advisory Commission recommended the restitution of the "Foxes" to the Grawi heirs. The painting was returned in January 2022.No publisherArtwork/oeuvre d’artKurt GrawiInstitutional facilitator/facilitateur institutionnelCity of DüsseldorfMediation/médiationUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionNegotiation/négociationGrawi HeirsNazi looted art/spoliations naziesSettlement agreement/accord transactionnel2023/04/12 16:10:00 GMT+1PageDeux tableaux de Toulouse-Lautrec – Koerfer c. Goldschmidt
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/deux-tableaux-de-toulouse-lautrec-2013-koerfer-c-goldschmidt-1
En 1940, Jakob Goldschmidt, banquier juif et grand collectionneur d’art se voit retirer la nationalité allemande par le régime nazi qui s’approprie, par la suite, son patrimoine. Deux de ses tableaux du peintre Toulouse-Lautrec sont alors vendus aux enchères publiques et acquises par Jakob Koerfer qui en fait cadeau à sa femme, résidant en Suisse. Au décès de cette dernière, les tableaux sont dévolus aux enfants du couple. En 1956, Alfred Erwin Goldschmidt ouvre contre Jakob Koerfer et ses enfants une action en restitution des tableaux litigieux. Sa demande est rejetée en dernière instance par le Tribunal fédéral selon lequel les héritiers Koerfer sont, d’après le droit suisse, valablement devenus propriétaires des tableaux litigieux.
No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireRequest denied/rejet de la demandeArtwork/oeuvre d’artSwitzerland/SuisseGermany/AllemagneJakob KoerferJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesJakob GoldschmidChoice of law/droit applicableNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriété2022/01/25 19:30:59 GMT+1PageTrente-sept tableaux spoliés par le régime nazi – Paul Rosenberg c. Théodore Fischer et consorts
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/trente-sept-tableaux-spolies-par-le-regime-nazi-2013-paul-rosenberg-c-theodore-fischer-et-consorts
En 1946, Paul Rosenberg, célèbre marchand d’art français et israélite, ouvre une action en restitution de trente-sept tableaux de maître dont il a été spolié en France, durant l’occupation allemande, par le régime nazi, et qui se sont retrouvés en Suisse à la fin de la guerre. L’action est portée devant la Chambre des actions en revendication de biens spoliés, chambre spéciale et extraordinaire du Tribunal fédéral (TF). En 1948, le TF admet le recours et condamne les défendeurs à restituer les tableaux litigieux à P. Rosenberg.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireArtwork/oeuvre d’artState responsibility/responsabilité internationale des EtatsExpropriationSwitzerland/SuisseGermany/AllemagneJudicial claim/action en justiceThéodore Fisher et consortsUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéPaul Rosenberg2022/01/25 16:55:00 GMT+1PageCase Cranach Diptych – Goudstikker Heirs and Norton Simon Museum
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/case-cranach-diptych-2013-goudstikker-heirs-and-norton-simon-museum-1
The Cranach diptych “Adam and Eve” was presumably part of Jacques Goudstikker’s collection looted by the Nazis during the Second World War. For several years, Goudstikker’s sole heir, Marei von Saher, and the Norton Simon Museum in California have led unsuccessful negotiations regarding the heir’s restitution claim. Notwithstanding the support received by the State of California and by several organizations, Marei von Saher’s claims in replevin were dismissed by both the District Court for the Central District of California and by the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Supreme Court of the United States denied the heir’s petition for writ of certiorari.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireRequest denied/rejet de la demandeArtwork/oeuvre d’artNorton Simon FoundationAct of StateJudicial claim/action en justiceStatute of limitation/prescriptionNegotiation/négociationNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéJacques Goudstikker2021/08/17 10:20:00 GMT+1PageGuelph Treasure – Alan Philipp, Gerald G. Stiebel and Jed R. Leiber v. Germany and Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/case-guelph-treasure-2013-alan-philipp-gerald-g-stiebel-and-jed-r-leiber-v-germany-and-prussian-cultural-heritage-foundation-1
A collection of medieval ecclesiastical art is claimed by the heirs of three Jewish dealers, who allege that the collection was sold under duress during the Nazi era. After an unsuccessful conciliation in front of Germany’s Advisory Commission, the claim is being litigated before the courts of the United States. On 3 February 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favour of Germany on the interpretation of the expropriation exception in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act.No publisherJudicial decision/décision judiciaireOngoing dispute/litige en coursGermany/AllemagneConciliationArtwork/oeuvre d’artState immunity/immunité des EtatsExpropriationInstitutional facilitator/facilitateur institutionnelGerald G. StiebelJudicial claim/action en justiceAlan PhilippJed R. LeiberJurisdiction/conflit de jurisdictionState responsibility/responsabilité internationale des EtatsPrussian Cultural Heritage FoundationNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriétéNegotiation/négociation2021/06/28 10:20:00 GMT+1PageLa Seine vue du Pont-Neuf, au fond le Louvre
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/la-seine-vue-du-pont-neuf-au-fond-le-louvre-2013-heritiere-heilbronn-kunstmuseum-de-berne-republique-federale-d2019allemagne-et-etat-libre-de-baviere
Durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale, le tableau de Camille Pissarro "La Seine vue du Pont-Neuf, au fond le Louvre" appartenant à Max Heilbronn est spolié par le régime nazi. En 2012, lors d'une perquisition chez Cornelius Gurlitt les autorités allemandes saisissent une collection d'œuvres dont le tableau de Camille Pissaro fait partie. Cornelius Gurlitt décède et lègue sa collection au Kunstmuseum de Berne. Le tableau est finalement restitué à l’héritière de Max Heilbronn.No publisherOwnership/propriétéKunstmuseum de BerneArtwork/oeuvre d’artUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionLegacy/legsSchwabinger Kunstfund TaskforceInstitutional facilitator/facilitateur institutionnelCornelius GurlittRépublique fédérale d'AllemagneHéritière HeilbronnSettlement agreement/accord transactionnelNazi looted art/spoliations naziesEtat libre de BavièreAd hoc facilitator/facilitateur ad hocCommission pour l'indemnisation des victimes de spoliations (CIVS)2020/10/07 15:20:00 GMT+1PageTwo Lithographs of the Glaser Collection – Glaser Heirs and Kunstmuseum Basel
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/two-lithographs-of-the-glaser-collection-2013-glaser-heirs-and-kunstmuseum-basel
In 1933, the Kunstmuseum Basel purchased about 200 drawings and prints at the Max Perl auction in Berlin. These works belonged to Curt Glaser, a Jewish art collector and director of the Art Library in Berlin. In 2004, the Glaser heirs requested the Kunstmuseum to return two artworks by Edvard Munch, but the Museum refused. Following negociations, the Kunstmuseum Basel and the heirs of Curt Glaser reached a seemingly “just and fair solution”.No publisherStatute of limitation/prescriptionOwnership/propriétéArtwork/oeuvre d’artFinancial compensation/indemnisationCanton of Basel-CityNegotiation/négociationRequest denied/rejet de la demandeNazi looted art/spoliations naziesDue diligenceMediation/médiationCurt GlaserConciliationSettlement agreement/accord transactionnelProcedural issue/limites procéduralesKunstmuseum Basel2020/10/02 09:10:00 GMT+1PageThe Actor – Leffmann Heir v. Metropolitan Museum of Art
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/the-actor-2013-leffmann-heir-v-metropolitan-museum-of-art
Before the Second World War, Paul and Alice Leffmann, a couple of German Jews, fled Germany to Italy and then to Brazil. To be able to leave Europe, they sold the painting “The Actor” by Picasso to three art dealers for a fraction of its market value. In 1939, one of the dealers sold the painting to Thelma Foy. Several years later, Thelma Foy donated the painting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) of New York. In the 2010s, the great-grandniece of Paul and Alice Leffmanns sued the MET to retrieve the painting.No publisherRequest denied/rejet de la demandeOwnership/propriétéOngoing dispute/litige en coursMetropolitan Museum of ArtArtwork/oeuvre d’artJudicial claim/action en justicePaul and Alice LeffmannNazi looted art/spoliations naziesDue diligenceStatute of limitation/prescriptionProcedural issue/limites procéduralesJudicial decision/décision judiciaire2020/02/05 12:55:00 GMT+1PageUlanen auf dem Marsch – Fondation Max et Iris Stern et Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/ulanen-auf-dem-marsch-2013-fondation-max-et-iris-stern-et-bayerische-staatsgemaldesammlungen
En juin 1936, dans un contexte de montée du nazisme, Max Stern, un galeriste juif, vend l’œuvre d’art intitulée « Ulanen auf dem Marsch ». Cette œuvre d’art est acquise en 1986 par le Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen. La Fondation Max et Iris Stern, représentant les héritiers de Max Stern, demande la restitution de la peinture au musée bavarois par le biais de la « Beratende Kommission ».No publisherOwnership/propriétéBeratende Kommission für die Rückgabe NS-verfolgungsbedingt entzogener Kulturgüter, insbesondere aus jüdischem BesitzConditional restitution/restitution sous conditionArtwork/oeuvre d’artFondation Max et Iris SternNazi looted art/spoliations naziesConciliationBayerische StaatsgemäldesammlungenAd hoc facilitator/facilitateur ad hoc2020/01/07 11:10:00 GMT+1PageTwo Schiele Paintings – Grunbaum Heirs v. Richard Nagy
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/two-schiele-paintings-2013-grunbaum-heirs-v-richard-nagy
In 1938, the Nazis expropriated the art collection of Fritz Grunbaum while he was detained in Dachau concentration camp. In 2016, the Grunbaum heirs filed suit against Richard Nagy, the art dealer in possession of two of the paintings by Schiele that formed part of Fritz Grunbaum’s collection (“Woman in a Black Pinafore” and “Woman Hiding Her Face”). Eventually, the New York’s Supreme Court directed Nagy to return the artworks to the Grunbaum heirs.No publisherUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionJudicial decision/décision judiciaireRichard NagyArtwork/oeuvre d’artDue diligenceJudicial claim/action en justiceProcedural issue/limites procéduralesFritz and Elizabeth GrunbaumStatute of limitation/prescriptionNazi looted art/spoliations naziesOwnership/propriété2019/11/29 15:30:00 GMT+1PageDie Grosse Seestrasse in Wannsee – X. v. Switzerland
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/die-grosse-seestrasse-in-wannsee-2013-x-v-switzerland
The painting “Die Grosse Seestrasse in Wannsee” was bought in 1948 by François de Diesbach. After de Diesbach’s death, the painting was forgotten within the Swiss embassy. When the Swiss embassy decided to donate the painting to the Liebermann Villa, a distant relative of de Diesbach seized a Swiss court and claimed ownership over the painting. The High Court of the Canton of Bern ultimately held that the Swiss Confederation had acquired ownership over the painting.No publisherOwnership/propriétéLoan/prêtJudicial decision/décision judiciaireArtwork/oeuvre d’artJudicial claim/action en justiceNegotiation/négociationSwitzerland/SuisseLiebermann VillaNazi looted art/spoliations naziesPost 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution post 1970DonationChoice of law/droit applicableState immunity/immunité des EtatsProcedural issue/limites procéduralesConditional restitution/restitution sous condition2019/10/01 15:30:00 GMT+1PagePulcinell Sculpture – Budge Heirs v. Anonymous Purchaser
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/pulcinell-sculpture-2013-budge-heirs-v-anonymous-purchaser
A sculpture of Pulcinell was purchased by an anonymous buyer at auction in London in 2016. The buyer applied for an export license and the case came before the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest of the United Kingdom. During the review, it was discovered that the sculpture had been subject to forced sale by Nazis in 1937. The heirs of Emma Budge, the dispossessed owner of the sculpture, discovering what had become of the sculpture, attempted to secure its restitution.No publisherRequest denied/rejet de la demandeInstitutional facilitator/facilitateur institutionnelArtwork/oeuvre d’artOwnership/propriétéUnited Kingdom/Royaume-UniBudge HeirsConciliationNazi looted art/spoliations naziesProcedural issue/limites procédurales2019/08/13 11:55:00 GMT+1PagePortrait of Greta Moll – Moll Heirs v. National Gallery of London
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/portrait-of-greta-moll-2013-moll-heirs-v-national-gallery-of-london
The “Portrait of Greta Moll” has been subject to a claim for return. The heirs of the painting’s subject argued the painting was stolen in the aftermath of the Second World War and claimed that the National Gallery of London did not purchase the work in good faith. The case has been heard in two courts of the United States.No publisherPost 1970 restitution claims/demandes de restitution post 1970National Gallery, LondonDeaccessionProcedural issue/limites procéduralesMargrete MollRequest denied/rejet de la demandeCriminal offence/infraction pénaleDue diligenceStatute of limitation/prescriptionOwnership/propriétéUnited Kingdom/Royaume-UniState immunity/immunité des EtatsJudicial claim/action en justiceJurisdiction/conflit de jurisdictionArtwork/oeuvre d’artConciliationNazi looted art/spoliations naziesJudicial decision/décision judiciaireThe American Friends of the National GalleryOskar Moll2019/08/12 14:20:00 GMT+1PageBiccherna Panel – Anonymous Heirs and British Library
https://plone.unige.ch/art-adr/cases-affaires/biccherna-panel-2013-anonymous-heirs-and-british-library
In 2013, the British Library was contacted by the heirs of A.S. Drey, a Munich firm whose assets were sold off by Nazis in 1936. The heirs requested the return of the “Biccherna Panel” and lodged a claim with the UK Spoliation Advisory Panel, which found in favour of the claimants. However, following negotiations, the heirs accepted compensation in lieu of return, allowing the Biccherna Panel to remain in the British Library.No publisherNazi looted art/spoliations naziesNegotiation/négociationDeaccessionFinancial compensation/indemnisationArtwork/oeuvre d’artSettlement agreement/accord transactionnelProcedural issue/limites procéduralesBritish LibraryOwnership/propriétéUnconditional restitution/restitution sans conditionConciliationUnited Kingdom/Royaume-UniSpoliation Advisory Panel (UK)2019/08/12 10:50:00 GMT+1Page