Minister of Property Custody Peter Krauland told a Jewish delegation today that assets confiscated by the Nazis in Austria will be returned to the rightful owners and that persons whose assets cannot be traced will be compensated from a fund composed of property, cash and valuables which have not been claimed and property taken from war criminals.
The delegation, which consisted of several representatives of the World Jewish Congress and David Brill, president of the Jewish Community Council, was assured that every effort will be made to speed property restitution. The new measures will go into effect later this month and September, Krauland said.
He added that special questions of property restitution affecting Jews which are not covered by the new legislation will be discussed with Jewish representatives.
RUSSIANS STILL HOLD JEWISH FARMER WHO HEADED LAND RESTITUTION COMMITTEE
Oscar Wilhelm, a Jewish farmer and chairman of the Austrian Land Restitution Committee, is still being held by Russian authorities, however, for opposing seizure by the Soviet occupation authorities of several large Jewish-owned farms. The Red Army has taken over ten Jewish farms ranging in size from 200 to 1,000 acres.
Wilhelm was arrested two weeks ago and the Austrian Government has been unable to secure his release, although three of his associates who were arrested at the same time have been freed, high officials of the Ministry of Economic Planning revealed.
Still imprisoned with Wilhelm is Engineer Leopold Greil. Wilhelm Hartzar, an official of the Ministry of Trusteeship, was released after two days and Dr. Jakob Stoiber and Engineer Berger were freed after three days. All five were arrested after they had been summoned to the Russian Kommandatura for a conference on Russian claims to lands seized from Jews and others after the Anschluss.
Meanwhile, Wilhelm’s farm is one of those taken by the Russians as “German assets.” The Restitution Committee is still functioning in his absence although apparently it is understaffed.
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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.
