Woman Can Sue Austria Over Paintings
A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that a Cheviot Hills woman can sue the Austrian government to recover six paintings allegedly taken from her uncle by Nazis and kept in that country after World War II. U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper said that since the paintings by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt were taken in violation of international law, Austria had no sovereign right to try the case.
The plaintiff, Maria Altmann, 85, would have had to pay up to $2 million in legal deposits had the case been tried in Austria. Her lawsuit estimates the six paintings are worth at least $150 million.
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