{"argument_date":"2004-02-25T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2004-02-25T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2003","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","paragraphs":["Scott Cooper argued for Austria. He cited the Landgraf case. He claimed Congress did not direct retroactive application of the Act.","Paul Hungar argued for the United States. He stated sovereign immunity bars pre-1976 expropriation claims. He emphasized the consistent position of the U.S. government.","Alan Schoenberg argued for Altmann. He listed four grounds for affirming the lower court. He argued the Act regulates jurisdiction, not primary conduct.","Cooper responded to a question about the Dralle case. He argued that case does not support second-guessing expropriation in Austria."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 49-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 49-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 27-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 27-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 9-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 9-11"}]}],"caption":"Republic of Austria v. Altmann","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.456137Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.484114Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Austrian citizens seek to recover art seized by the Nazis. Austria claims sovereign immunity blocks the claim.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 49-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 49-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 27-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 27-7"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2004-02-25T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2003","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/03-13.html","primary_docket":"03-13","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T15:54:43.006483Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["Maria Altmann sued Austria in U.S. courts. She sought to recover art her family lost during World War II. Austria argued the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not apply to pre-1976 events. The lower court allowed the lawsuit to proceed. Austria asked the Supreme Court to reverse that decision."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 49-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 49-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 27-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 27-7"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 25, 2004."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 9-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 9-11"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Austria wants the Supreme Court to reverse the lower court. It seeks to dismiss the lawsuit based on sovereign immunity.","Altmann wants the Supreme Court to affirm the lower court. She seeks to keep her lawsuit alive in U.S. courts."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 49-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 49-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 27-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 27-7"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Austria argues the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not apply retroactively. It claims Congress did not intend to cover pre-1976 events.","Altmann argues the Act regulates jurisdiction, not underlying conduct. She contends the law does not operate retrospectively."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 49-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 49-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 27-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 27-7"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the Dralle case supports second-guessing expropriation in Austria.","The Court asked about the applicability of the Act to pre-enactment events."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 9-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 9-11"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case determines whether U.S. courts can hear claims about property seized before 1976. It defines the scope of sovereign immunity for foreign states. It impacts how victims of historical seizures seek redress in American courts."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 49-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 49-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 27-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 27-7"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 9-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 9-11"}]}],"slug":"2003-03-13-republic-of-austria-v-altmann","term":"2003","title":"Does the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act apply to pre-1976 property seizures?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 49-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 49-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 48, lines 27-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-13.pdf","page_label":"file page 48, lines 27-7"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}