The curious case of Schindler’s suitcase: Legal battle over WWII hero’s bag

Erika Rosenberg, an Argentinian woman, is suing Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust museum for ownership of a suitcase containing thousands of Oskar Schindler’s documents. Rosenberg claims ownership by virtue of being the heir of the German industrialist’s late wife, Emilie, but Yad Vashem argues it has held the suitcase and the documents and insists they never belonged to Emilie Schindler but were passed on by Oskar Schindler to a third party before his death. The museum insists it is legally entitled to the documents and has not acted in an underhand manner, denying claims by Rosenberg’s legal team that it had “grabbed” the suitcase.

Yad Vashem holds the documents lawfully and has acted the whole time openly and publicly.

Statement from Yad Vashem Holocaust museum

The case is now headed for debate in a Jerusalem court, which will hold a preliminary hearing on April 15, after mediation between the sides failed. After the war, Schindler emigrated with his wife to Argentina, but in 1958 returned to Germany alone and died there in 1974. She remained his legal heir. Documents related to Schindler have financial as well as historic value.

World Schindler