Soviet insistence on the principle that German-held property in Austria, even though it had been illegally acquired from its rightful Jewish owners, is to be considered reparations for the U.S.S.R. under the Potsdam Agreement, has prevented restitution of property to the heirs of its original owner, although the present holders of the property are prepared to surrender it, it was learned today.
One of the heirs affected by the Soviet stand is Mrs. Helene Berger, of Los Angeles. The other is Mrs. Anni Becker, of Geneva. The property, originally owned by Henriette Leiser, who died in a concentration camp, was seized by the Nazis and came into the possession of the Wiener Neustadt Maschinen Werke. The firm informed the heirs that it was prepared to surrender the property to them. The estate consists of realty located near Wiener Neustadt.
Austrian Chancellor Leopold Figl submitted the formal application for restitution but action was blocked in the four-power Allied Council when the Russians raised objections. The Western powers argued that acquisition of property by force or duress on racial or political grounds did not render it legitimate German assets and the Control agreement did not prevent restitution of this property. The Soviets, however, insisted that this property was reparations and that the sole decision rested with the Soviet High Commissioner.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
