U.S. Appeals Court issues decision on GuelphTreasure art restitution lawsuit
News from 07/10/2018
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued its decision on 10 July, ordering the U.S. District Court to dismiss the lawsuit against the Federal Republic of Germany while allowing the lawsuit to proceed against SPK.
Hermann Parzinger, president of Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz (SPK), said: “It is SPK’s long-held belief that this case should not be heard in U.S. court, and we remain committed to demonstrating that the case has no merit, as the Guelph Treasure’s sale more than 80 years ago was not a forced sale due to Nazi persecution. In fact, the merits of the Welfenschatz case have already been considered by the German ‘Advisory Commission on the return of cultural property seized as a result of Nazi persecution, especially Jewish property’, which concluded in 2014 that restitution was not appropriate.“
SPK and its legal team are evaluating the ruling and considering their options. SPK is represented in this matter in the United States by the law firm of Wiggin and Dana.