Jewish heirs sue California museum over Nazi-looted 16th-century paintings

Jewish heirs of Holocaust victims and their representatives have filed two lawsuits in California seeking the return of paintings they say were looted by Nazis from their families during the second world war, according to the Guardian.

The lawsuits target artworks that remain on display at prominent institutions, including the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, which holds 16th-century paintings the plaintiffs say were stolen by the Nazis, the report said.

According to the Guardian, the cases are the first to be filed following the recent passage of new laws by California and the US Congress that strengthen the ability of claimants based in the United States to pursue ownership of artwork forcibly taken from Jewish families during the war.

The report said the lawsuits concern paintings currently hanging in museums in Los Angeles and near the former Auschwitz concentration camp, though further details of the specific works and the identities of the plaintiffs were not provided in the excerpt.

The Guardian did not report a response from the Norton Simon Museum or other institutions named in the litigation at the time of publication.

This report is based on an account published by the Guardian; further details on the legal claims and any institutional responses were not available in the source material reviewed.