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Mrs. Nierenberg’s quest, narrowed to 11 paintings she inherited now valued at $15 million to $20 million, of course, is a tiny whisper compared to the horrific roar that was Auschwitz. She is a rich woman in a gorgeous modern home, full of other kinds of art — her husband’s photographs, taken around the world, African masks, an eclectic assortment of paintings.

But, along with other claims large and small, it’s one of the most important remaining claims asking for simple justice in the face of one of history’s most dreadful injustices. As always, there are legal issues as precise as pinpricks. What is the effect of a 1959 payment of $169,827 by the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States for artwork and real property to Mrs. Nierenberg’s mother? Exactly what futile but symbolic efforts should the family have made during Soviet rule to have voided any statute of limitation issues for filing claims?

Still, the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which has advocated on her behalf, managed to cut to the chase in a letter last week. “Why would the Hungarian government insist on retaining custody of artwork stolen by the Nazis when it could return it to its rightful owner?” the commission asked in a letter to Hungary’s foreign affairs minister, Dr. Kinga Goncz.

“Whether a court actually orders the return of these paintings or not, we urge your government to return to Mrs. Nierenberg without further delay the paintings that were stolen from her family,” the letter said.

In the face of a nightmare of history where justice can never be done, it doesn’t seem like so much to ask. But maybe it is.

E-mail: peappl at nytimes.com

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