Jagiellonian University launches legal proceedings to win back lost prints

The Jagiellonian University in Krakow has authorized a law firm in Frankfurt am Mein to file a lawsuit on its behalf against a German auction house, Reiss & Sohn, that is currently in possession of a number of old prints that are university property. A total of 59 old prints were stolen from its library in the spring of 1999, the Jagiellonian University claims. Among them 18, including Ptolemeus's "Cosmographia", are now being held by the German auction house. Although the legal costs are high, having already amounted to over DM40,000, rector of the Jagiellonian University, Professor Franciszek Ziejka, insists that they will fight to get the prints back. Yesterday he said, "We are claiming our property back. We intend to fight for it, regardless of the expense." (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 10) M.T.K.