Holocaust heirs sue California museums for Nazi‑looted art

Representatives and heirs of Jewish Holocaust victims have filed two lawsuits in California seeking the return of Nazi‑looted artworks. The first case, brought by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and its board chair Daniel Gryczman, targets the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. The plaintiffs demand the return of the 1530 life‑size panel paintings “Adam and Eve” by Lucas Cranach the Elder, which were seized from Dutch Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker during the Nazi era.

A second action, filed the same day in federal court, was brought by the daughters of Dinah Gottliebova Babbitt, a California animator who survived Auschwitz. They seek the surrender of watercolor portraits she was forced to produce of fellow captives for Dr. Josef Mengele. The paintings were created under duress to document Mengele’s illicit medical experiments and are considered by the Auschwitz Memorial to be vital historical evidence.

Both institutions have defended their holdings. The Norton Simon Museum cites a 2018 federal ruling and a 2019 Supreme Court denial of review that confirm its legal title to the Cranach panels, which it claims have been on public display for nearly fifty years. The museum also notes the works’ provenance through the Stroganoff family and Goudstikker. The Auschwitz Memorial, represented by Pawel Sawicki, argues that the watercolors are not “Nazi‑looted art” but essential records of atrocities that must remain in the memorial.

The lawsuits come amid new state and federal legislation aimed at strengthening restitution claims. California Assembly Bill 2867, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, allows state law to apply to claims by residents or heirs. Federal updates to the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2025 eliminate statute‑of‑limitations barriers, enabling heirs to pursue recovery indefinitely, as noted by Art Ashes founder Joel Greenberg. These legal changes signal a broader push to resolve long‑standing disputes over cultural property taken during World War II.