A protracted legal dispute over a collection of writings belonging to Franz Kafka came to an end in a Tel Aviv court over the weekend, when a judge ordered the documents be gifted to the Israel National Library Museum.

The documents had been given to Kafka’s friend Max Brod, and were in the possession of the descendants of Mr Brod’s former secretary. The manuscripts, which may include unpublished writings by Kafka, have been kept in safety deposit boxes. Once in National Library, they will become available to the public for the first time, and will eventually be published online.

Some of the works entrusted to Mr Brod have already been published, including The Trial and The Castle.