Wars and occupations often go hand in hand with plundering or theft of art objects. In this respect the past decades have been dominated by (former) families of owners whose goods were looted during the Second World War and who are regularly found in state collections, museum collections, institutions and with private individuals. There is also a focus on colonial goods taken by colonisers from former colonies. This then regularly leads to claims of recovery. Legal obstacles play a role in this, which can differ from country to country. Legal proceedings do not always bring a solution and amicable settlements are preferable.
On 11 October 2012, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals (New York) made a ruling in a case that has been litigated for over seven years and involves the question of who owns a drawing by the Austrian artist Egon Schiele , known as "Seated Woman with Bent Left Leg (Torso)".
On 29 May 2012, the Hamburg District Court rendered an important decision in a matter concerning a vehicle that was taken from Germany in 1945 by U.S. soldiers. The car, a Mercedes-Benz 500K Spezial, had been acquired by Hans Friedrich Prym in 1935.
The U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on 24 May 2012 dismissed the restitution claim of a painting by Camille Pissarro, "Rue St-Honore, Apres-Midi, Effet de Pluie" on 24 May 2012.
