At the Holocaust Museum LA on Sept. 16, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2867, legislation from Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) that will help California residents recover art and other personal property stolen during the Holocaust or as a result of other acts of political persecution.
The bill was introduced following a recent decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that has allowed a Spanish museum to retain possession of a famous Impressionist masterpiece stolen by the Nazis from the Cassirer family during the Holocaust. AB 2867 mandates that California law must apply in lawsuits involving the theft of art or other personal property looted during the Holocaust or due to other acts of political persecution.
“For survivors of the Holocaust and their families, the fight to take back ownership of art and other personal items stolen by the Nazis continues to traumatize those who have already gone through the unimaginable,” Newsom said. “It is both a moral and legal imperative that these valuable and sentimental pieces be returned to their rightful owners, and I am proud to strengthen California’s laws to help secure justice for families.”…