Confiscation of Jewish property in Europe, 1933–1945 : new sources and perspectives : symposium proceedings

"The aim of this symposium [ Confiscation of Jewish Property in Europe, 1933–1945: New Sources and Perspectives , held March 22, 2001] was to develop a more in-depth understanding of the mechanisms and effects of the confiscation of Jewish property throughout Nazi-dominated Europe... These papers highlight a number of key aspects of the confiscation process. They focus on the seizure of private property such as bank accounts, securities, real estate, household items, and books, as distinct from the so-called Aryanization of businesses. Through a combination of special taxes, blocked accounts, and confiscatory decrees Jews were progressively robbed of their entire private means. Particularly impressive and equally disturbing is the robbers' effort to ensure that property confiscation was carried out by 'legal' means through a vast array of institutions and organizations set up for this purpose. The immensely bureaucratic nature of the confiscation process emerges from the vast archival trail that has survived. Arguments that no one knew about the Jews' fate become untenable once it is clear how many people were involved in processing their property. 'Legal' measures often masked theft, but blatant robbery and extortion through intimidation and physical assault were also commonplace." —Foreword by Paul A. Shapiro and Martin C. Dean, pages i–ii