Jewish heirs of Holocaust victims and their representatives have initiated two lawsuits in California. They are asserting claims to paintings looted by Nazis, which currently adorn the walls of prominent museums in Los Angeles and Auschwitz.
These lawsuits are the first since California and Congress passed laws enhancing U.S.-based claims to artworks forcibly taken from Jewish families during World War II.
Two Separate Lawsuits
On Monday, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and its board chair, Daniel Gryczman, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court. It targets the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, demanding the return of Adam and Eve. Built by Lucas Cranach the Elder in 1530, these masterpieces are life-size oil-on-panel creations.
An undated photo from the Norton Simon Art Foundation on September 18, 2026, depicts these paintings on display in the museum.
Gerard Vuilleumier/Norton Simon Art Foundation via AP
The second lawsuit was filed in federal court in L.A. by the daughters of Dinah Gottliebova Babbitt. She was a Holocaust survivor and animator who had been held in Auschwitz. The lawsuit seeks the return of watercolors of fellow prisoners, which she was forced to paint for Josef Mengele, a Nazi physician known as the “Angel of Death.”
Spokespersons for both museums assert their legal ownership of the artworks and plan to continue public displays. The lawsuits do not specify the monetary value of the paintings.
The Context of Nazi-Looted Art
The topic of Nazi-looted art is emotionally charged, involving legal and ethical dilemmas. Jewish families, who have endured generational trauma, seek recoveries from museums claiming to preserve an important historical chapter.
From 1933 to 1945, the Nazi regime executed the largest art theft in history. Over 600,000 artworks were seized across Europe from Jewish families, collectors, and museums. Many of these masterpieces now reside in museums worldwide, complicating their recovery.
Rabbi Noah Farkas leads the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles. Marei von Saher, sole heir of Jacques Goudstikker, a Dutch Jewish art dealer, has entrusted the federation with her rights. Paintings from Goudstikker’s collection were seized by Hermann Göring and changed hands multiple times before being sold in the 1960s to the Norton Simon Museum.
Farkas stated that the federation intends to use the net proceeds from recovered art to aid roughly 2,500 Holocaust survivors in the L.A. area.
These beautiful European masterpieces were stolen to enrich the Nazi party and fund war and death against people,” he said. “It’s an honor to assist the community and use proceeds to help elderly survivors live in dignity, comfort, and peace, denied to their family during the Holocaust.
Marei von Saher expressed gratitude toward the Jewish organization for championing her family’s cause. This effort is a meaningful step toward justice for Holocaust survivors and Nazi era victims, she stated.
Legislation Addressing Holocaust-Era Art Recovery
Democratic California Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel authored Assembly Bill 2867. Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2024, it requires state law to apply in lawsuits by California residents or heirs aiming to recover art seized during the Holocaust or acts of persecution.
Gabriel, co-chair of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, introduced the legislation following a federal court ruling. The ruling permitted the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid to retain a multimillion-dollar Camille Pissarro painting taken by Nazis from the Cassirer family in 1939. This case, which led to the new law, is scheduled for a federal court hearing in California next month.
Gabriel urged museums to reflect on their historical stance. Museums need introspection to decide if they side with history’s right side.
Norton Simon Museum’s Position
Norton Simon Museum stated that in 2018, a federal court unanimously confirmed its rightful ownership of the Cranach paintings. The U.S. Supreme Court, in May 2019, declined involvement, leaving prior court rulings intact.
They noted the paintings were initially owned by the Stroganoff family and auctioned illicitly by the Soviet Union in Berlin in 1931. Goudstikker purchased them, and after a complex journey, they were sold to the museum by a Stroganoff descendant.
The museum has restored and preserved these works. They affirmed, For nearly 50 years, these paintings have been displayed at the Norton Simon Museum and will continue public access for years ahead.
Auschwitz Memorial’s Stance
Pawel Sawicki, spokesperson for the Auschwitz Memorial, stated Gottliebova Babbitt’s watercolors depicted Roma victims she painted involuntarily under Mengele’s orders. Thus, these do not qualify as “Nazi-looted art.”
Sawicki acknowledged the family’s feelings but emphasized the watercolors’ role in documenting Mengele’s crimes. He stated, These portraits are among few remaining records of Mengele’s criminal acts. They must remain as unique documents related to Auschwitz’s history.
He added, Respecting creators’ rights, any reduction in the Memorial’s collections causes irreparable harm. Preserving these documents safeguards victim memory and ensures historical integrity.