Nazi Era Claims and Art Museums

Abstract

This paper will review the response of American art museums to the possibility of possessing art that was—or might have been—lost, stolen or taken under duress during the period 1933–45 in Europe. Nearly all World War ll-related claims to objects in U.S. art museums have been amicably resolved. Only a handful of claims have been litigated, and museums have been uniformly successful in the rare instances where a court has reached a decision.