GERMANY: LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST GERMANY FOR ALLEGEDLY KEEPING STOLEN ARTWORKS FROM VICTIMS OF HOLOCAUST.

Record ID: 648686

  • Title: GERMANY: LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST GERMANY FOR ALLEGEDLY KEEPING STOLEN ARTWORKS FROM VICTIMS OF HOLOCAUST.
  • Date: 24th June 2004
  • Summary: (U6) BERLIN, GERMANY (JUNE 23, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF U.S. LAWYER EDWARD FAGAN OUTSIDE GERMAN FINANCE MINISTRY SPEAKING TO REPORTERS 2. REPORTERS TAKING NOTES 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDWARD FAGAN, U.S. LAWYER SAYING: "If you steal property from a Holocaust victim or groups, you, the Federal Republic -- of whatever country you may be and it just happens to be these guys (points to German Finance Ministry) -- the Federal Republic must account for it. You can be sued in an American court. It is not the business of governments to steal or retain wrongfully expropriated property. That's why we're here. We're here because the theft started here. The expropriations started here." 4. GERMAN FINANCE MINISTRY BUILDING 5. FAGAN SPEAKING TO REPORTERS 6. CLOSE-UP OF JORAM DEUTSCH, SWISS-BASED SPOKESMAN FOR "ASSOCIATION OF HOLOCAUST VICTIMS FOR RESTITUTION OF ARTWORK AND MASTERPIECES" (AHVRAM) 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDWARD FAGAN, U.S. LAWYER SAYING: "They've known about Dr. Joram Deutsch since they put his father in jail 40 some odd years ago. They've known that he has been trying to clear his father's name. His father is the anchor to this entire issue. His father, what they did to his father is the entire issue. They've known we were coming for the last God knows how many years. They just didn't know that it was going to be Joram Deutsch. They just didn't know that it was going to be the Supreme Court of the United States that was going to say: you can be sued now." 8. VARIOUS EDWARD FAGAN OUTSIDE GERMAN FINANCE MINISTRY SPEAKING TO REPORTERS 9. CLOSE-UP OF FINANCE MINISTRY SIGN 10. FAGAN, AUSTRIAN LAWYER, DEUTSCH AND GERMAN LAWYER LEAVING FINANCE MINISTRY AFTER HANDING IN COPY OF LAWSUIT TO REPRESENTATIVE OF GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER HANS EICHELS OFFICE 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDWARD FAGAN, U.S. LAWYER SAYING: "We handed her the information, we pointed her directly to what it was, we asked her to please communicate to the minister that this could be, that it could get better or it could get worse. We suggested that we wanted either a meeting in 31 days or we wanted a written answer in 31 days." 12. FAGAN TALKING TO REPORTERS Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BERLIN,GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA581YX5WY28TRIFNYY47UFIR1I
  • Story Text: Lawyers file 18 billion U.S. dollar lawsuit against
    Germany for allegedly keeping stolen artworks from
    Holocaust victims


    U.S. lawyer Edward Fagan said he had filed a suit in
    a New York district court on behalf of the Association of
    Holocaust Victims for Restitution of Artwork and
    Masterpieces (AHVRAM) against the German Finance Ministry.

    Standing outside the ministry, Fagan told journalists
    he would present the government with evidence that after
    World War Two it had conspired to store, transport,
    withhold or dispose of at least 2,000 artworks stolen from
    Holocaust victims.

    "We are here because the theft started here, the
    expropriations started here, the continued wrongful
    retention of property started here," said Fagan.

    Under Adolf Hitler, Jewish households across occupied
    Europe were systematically looted for their artworks.

    AHVRAM's lawyers allege Germany withheld profits made from
    the works it still holds, including paintings by Monet and
    Rembrandt.

    The group said that Germany had retained works on the
    grounds it had not found living heirs but Fagan said in
    that case the country should sell the works and give the
    money to Holocaust victims as has been done in Austria.

    The flamboyant U.S. lawyer, who became known for his
    role in promoting Holocaust-related claims and has also
    stirred controversy with a slew of multi-billion dollar
    apartheid law suits.

    The Finance Ministry said in a statement that since the
    end of World War Two more than one million artworks were
    returned to their owners or heirs. It said it still owned
    works insured for a total 60 million euros (73 million U.S.

    dollars (USD).

    Fagan said he was hopeful Germany would meet AHVRAM's
    demands. He indicated he also planned to file suits against
    Austria, France and the United States for retaining stolen
    art.

    Best known for landing a 1.25 billion USD settlement
    from Swiss banks on behalf of Holocaust survivors, Fagan
    has been accused of raising his clients expectations to
    unrealistic levels.


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