Jewish German dynasty seeks Picassos lost in Nazi era

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

BERLIN (AFP) — A Jewish German banking dynasty is demanding that New York museums return two Picassos lost during the Nazi era that are worth 400 million dollars (270 million euros), a spokesman told Der Spiegel.

"It's a question of justice," Julius Schoeps, spokesman for the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy family, told the German weekly news magazine in comments to be published in Monday's edition.

The heirs of Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy say he became separated from the paintings -- worth an estimated 200 million dollars each -- during the Nazi era in Germany.

They are demanding that the Museum of Modern Art hand back "Boy Leading a Horse" (1905-1906) and that the Guggenheim return "Le Moulin de la Galette" (1900), Der Spiegel said.

The museums have...