Law suit filed for return of medieval treasure

The heirs of Nazi-era Jewish art dealers said they have filed a lawsuit in the United States suing Germany and a German museum for the return of a medieval treasure trove worth an estimated $226 million.

The suit was filed late on Monday in the US District Court in Washington and is the latest salvo in a long-running campaign by the heirs for the return of the so-called Welfenschatz, or Guelph Treasure which they claim their ancestors sold under Nazi pressure.

Originally collected by Braunschweig Cathedral, the Welfenschatz includes some of the outstanding work by goldsmiths of the Middle Ages. Many of the pieces are decorated with jewels and pearls. Some are more than 800 years old.