Jewish Federation Sues Norton Simon Museum for Nazi-Looted Cranach Paintings

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the heirs of Dutch art dealer Jacques Goudstikker filed suit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. They seek the return of a 16th-century oil diptych of Adam and Eve by Lucas Cranach the Elder, seized by the Nazis in 1940 and later held in Hermann Göring's collection. The museum acquired the paintings in 1971.

On the same day, the daughters of Holocaust survivor Dina Gottliebova Babbitt sued the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in federal court. They demand the return of watercolors of Roma prisoners Babbitt was forced to paint for Josef Mengele at Auschwitz. Babbitt died in 2009.

“By pursuing the recovery of the Cranachs, we are seeking to reverse a great injustice perpetrated by the Nazi theft of a Jewish family's property, and securing the resources that will enable us to provide for the many needs of thousands of impoverished Holocaust survivors in the greater Los Angeles area so they can live”

Both lawsuits rely on a 2024 California law that allows claimants to refile cases previously dismissed on procedural grounds. The legislation covers property stolen due to political persecution. A federal law passed this year also strengthens U.S.-based claims for Nazi-looted art.

Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and CEO of the Los Angeles federation, said proceeds from the sale of the Cranachs would support impoverished Holocaust survivors in the area. A 2018 study found one-third of U.S. Holocaust survivors live below the poverty line.

Spokespersons for both museums stated they legally hold title to the works and intend to continue displaying them. The lawsuits do not specify the monetary value of the artworks.