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Lawful Heir of Artworks Stolen by Nazis Files Lawsuit Against Germany and Bavaria in D.C

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Lawful Heir of Artworks Stolen by Nazis Files Lawsuit Against Germany and Bavaria in D.C For Immediate Release Contact: Lara Cupit: 214.794.8809 Lawful Heir of Artworks Stolen by Nazis Files Lawsuit Against Germany and Bavaria in D.C. Federal Court Washington D.C., March 5, 2014 – David Toren, an 88-year-old U.S. citizen, has sued the Federal Republic of Germany and the Free State of Bavaria seeking the return of artworks stolen from his family by the Nazis, including “Two Riders on the Beach,” a 20 th -century oil painting by the famous Jewish impressionist Max Liebermann. In February 2012, Defendants seized the painting and over 1,400 other valuable works from the Munich apartment of Cornelius Gurlitt, the reclusive son of the infamous Hildebrand Gurlitt, who was Adolf Hitler’s art dealer. Remarkably, Defendants kept the discovery of Gurlitt’s stash a secret until a press leak led to a press conference in November 2013, at which “Two Riders” was one of the featured paintings. The Complaint, filed by Weisbrod Matteis & Copley PLLC, alleges that Defendants have not returned “Two Riders” to Toren, despite knowing that Toren is the lawful heir of the painting that the Nazis stole in 1939 from Toren’s great- uncle, David Friedmann. By failing to disclose for nearly two years that they had the painting in their possession, Defendants have perpetuated the suffering of victims of the Holocaust. David Toren’s personal history with “Two Riders” predates World War II, and the painting is a cherished reminder of his family in Germany before their lives were torn apart by the Nazis. David Toren escaped Nazi Germany in 1939, when he was only 14 years old. The Nazis killed almost his entire family, including his parents who died in the gas chambers in the Auschwitz death camp in 1943. The last time Toren saw “Two Riders” was at his uncle’s villa in Breslau, now the Polish city of Wroclaw, in 1938. Toren will never see the painting again because he is blind, but he wants it back for his son and grandchilden. Toren’s lead attorney, August J. Matteis, Jr., explained that “This is about much more than a painting to David. The only family heirloom David was able to take when he escaped Germany as a child was a small photograph of his parents. David can’t get his parents or his childhood back, but he certainly can and will get this painting back and any other art in Defendants’ custody that the Nazi’s stole from his family.” The Complaint attaches a December 5, 1939 letter to the Nazi Minister of Economics in Berlin that irrefutably proves that Nazis stole Friedmann’s art collection. The letter describes the “valuation of artwork of a Jew, Friedmann,” and provides a partial inventory of Friedmann’s extensive collection to be seized by the Nazis. The letter identifies “Two Riders” and also mentions paintings by {00078979;v1} Courbet, Pissarro, Raffaëli, and Rousseau. Since the press conference, Defendants have provided no information about how and when the looted art will be returned to the rightful owners. According to Matteis, “David Toren has waited over 70 years for the return of property that belongs to him. Defendants continue to make him wait when there is no dispute that Nazis stole the painting and that David is the lawful heir. He understandably wants to be alive when the painting is returned to his family.” ABOUT WEISBROD MATTEIS & COPLEY PLLC WMC represents corporate and individual plaintiffs in lawsuits and trials against defendants that have breached their contracts, committed fraud, stolen intellectual property, and engaged in other commercial and financial misconduct. The National Law Journal selected Weisbrod Matteis & Copley as one of the 10 hottest litigation boutiques in the country in 2014. {00078979;v1} .
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