Guelph Treasure Art Restitution Case - Media Coverage

On December 7, 2020, Nicholas O'Donnell argued the Guelph Treasure case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The audio is available here.

Additional media coverage includes:

• National Law Journal – "Supreme Court Argument Tips From 16 Lawyers Who Made Virus-Era Debuts," December 21, 2020
• Jewish Journal - "Supreme Court to Determine If Jews Can Recover Art Stolen By Nazis," December 9, 2020 
• Museums Association – “Landmark Nazi spoliation case to be heard in US Supreme Court,” December 9, 2020
• The Art Newspaper – “US Supreme Court hears oral arguments in Guelph Treasure claim,” December 8, 2020
• Artnet News – “In the US Supreme Court, Germany Fights With Art Dealers’ Heirs Over the Fate of the $250 Million Guelph Treasure,” December 8, 2020
• Atlanta Journal Constitution – “High court hears Nazi-era cases from Germany, Hungary,” December 8, 2020 (Associated Press)
• Jakarta Post – “US Supreme Court hears case on art trove bought by Nazi Germany,” December 8, 2020 (AFP)
• Jewish Insider – “Supreme Court hears two Holocaust-era restitution cases,” December 8, 2020
• Market Watch – “Supreme Court weighs taking up cases seeking redress for Holocaust looting,” December 8, 2020 (Associated Press)
• New York Post – “Supreme Court hears cases involving property taken during the Nazi era,” December 8, 2020
• ABC News – “Holocaust victims ask Supreme Court for help reclaiming art and property,” December 7, 2020
• ABC News Chicago – “High court to decide whether Nazi art case stays in US court,” December 7, 2020 (Associated Press)
• BBC – “US Supreme Court hears dispute over Nazi treasure trove,” December 7, 2020
• Bloomberg Law – “Jewish-Owned Art Sold in Nazi Era at Center of SCOTUS Case (1),” December 7, 2020
• Bloomberg Law – “Nazi-Era Jewish Art Cases Get Mixed Reception from Justices (3),” December 7, 2020
• CNN – “Holocaust victims suing Germany and Hungary have their day at the Supreme Court on Monday,” December 7, 2020
• CNN – “Holocaust victims suing Germany and Hungary have their day at the Supreme Court (Updated),” December 7, 2020
• Courthouse News Service – “Treasure Sold During Holocaust Fought Over at High Court,” December 7, 2020
• Deutsche Welle – “Long-standing Nazi art dispute heard by US Supreme Court,” December 7, 2020
• The Hill – “Supreme Court weighs property theft claims by Holocaust victims,” December 7, 2020
• Independent – “Supreme Court in US to rule over ownership of art sold to Nazis,” December 7, 2020
• Jewish Telegraphic Agency – “Trump administration wants Holocaust restitution cases heard outside US. The Supreme Court seems skeptical,” December 7, 2020
• KPBS – “Looted Nazi Art Again Before Supreme Court,” December 7, 2020 (NPR)
• Law & Crime – “SCOTUS Appears Skeptical That Holocaust Victims’ Families Can Get Justice in U.S. Courts Against Nazi Germany’s Property Crimes,” December 7, 2020
• Le Monde – “The fate of a medieval treasure acquired by the Nazis before the United States Supreme Court,” December 7, 2020 (AFP)
• Los Angeles Times – “Supreme Court wary of having U.S. judges decide Nazi-era claims of forced art sales,” December 7, 2020
• New York Times – “Supreme Court Hears Holocaust Survivors’ Cases Against Hungary and Germany,” December 7, 2020
• NPR – “Looted Nazi Art Again Before Supreme Court,” December 7, 2020
• PBS News Hour – “Supreme Court to decide whether Nazi art case stays in U.S. court,” December 7, 2020 (Associated Press)
• PBS News Hour – “Heirs to medieval art collection sold to Nazis seek restitution,” December 7, 2020
• Reuters – “The Daily Docket,” December 7, 2020
• Reuters – “S. Supreme Court hears World War Two-era Jewish property claims,” December 7, 2020
• Wall Street Journal – “Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Jewish Property in Nazi Germany and Hungary,” December 7, 2020
• Washington Examiner – “Supreme Court questions Holocaust survivors' ability to sue Germany and Hungary in US courts,” December 7, 2020
• Washington Free Beacon – “Supreme Court Weighs Fate of Medieval Art Collection Allegedly Extorted by Nazis,” December 7, 2020
• Washington Post – “Nazi atrocities from decades ago occupy the Supreme Court’s attention,” December 7, 2020
• Washington Times – “Holocaust heirs ask Supreme Court for right to sue Germany over stolen property,” December 7, 2020
• WDIV Detroit – “High court hears Nazi-era cases from Germany, Hungary,” December 7, 2020 (Associated Press)
• AFP – “US Supreme Court Hears Case On Art Trove Bought By Nazi Germany,” December 6, 2020
• The Guardian – “Nazi art dispute goes to US supreme court in landmark case,” December 6, 2020
• International Business Times – “US Supreme Court Hears Case On Art Trove Bought By Nazi Germany,” December 6, 2020
• San Diego Jewish World – “US Supreme Court hears case on art trove bought by Nazi Germany,” December 6, 2020 (AFP)
• SCOTUS Blog – “Case preview: Foreign sovereign immunity, comity and the Holocaust,” December 6, 2020
• SCOTUS Blog – “Case preview: Justices to consider immunity for Germany in claims arising from Nazi-era art sale,” December 6, 2020
• The Times of Israel – “US Supreme Court to decide whether disputed Nazi art case stays in America,” December 6, 2020 (Associated Press)
• Wall Street Journal – “Holocaust Survivors Deserve Their Day in Court,” December 6, 2020
• ABC News – “High court to decide whether Nazi art case stays in US court,” December 5, 2020 (Associated Press)
• Associated Press – “High court to decide whether Nazi art case stays in US court,” December 5, 2020
• Chicago Tribune – “Supreme Court to decide whether Nazi art case brought by musician stays in United States,” December 5, 2020 (Associated Press)
• UPI – “S. Supreme Court to hear Nazi artworks case,” December 5, 2020
• Jewish News Syndicate – “US Supreme Court to hear two cases related to Holocaust restitution,” December 4, 2020
• Law360 – “Up Next At High Court: Nazi Art Theft, Facebook Class Action,” December 4, 2020
• Los Angeles Times – “Supreme Court weighs heirs’ claims over forced Jewish art sales during Nazi era,” December 3, 2020

Update: On January 21, 2020, the US Supreme Court called on the US Solicitor General's office to weigh in with views of the US Government on the matter. Further details can be found in The Art Newspaper's January 21 article here.

Covered extensively in the press, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia previously ruled that Germany can be sued for the return of Nazi-looted art and artifacts under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. This will be the first time Germany will have to defend itself in the U.S. against allegations of looted Nazi art and artifacts. The claims arise out of the 1935 forced sale by a consortium of Jewish art dealers to Hermann Goering’s minions of the famed collection of medieval artifacts known as the Guelph Treasure. The claims were filed by clients of Sullivan against the Federal Republic of Germany and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.

The media coverage relating to this lawsuit is substantial and includes:

• Artforum
• ArtNet News
• The Art Newspaper
• Forward
• International Business Times
• Jewish Political News & Updates
• Jewish Press
• Jewish Telegraphic Agency
• Reuters
• Savannah Jewish Federation
• The Art Newspaper
• The Wall Street Journal
• Jewish Journal
• World Jewish Congress
• Le Monde