The draft of a Federal law calling for the registration of unclaimed assets on deposit with Swiss institutions will be submitted shortly to the cantonal governments for their observations, it was learned today. The bill is expected to be submitted to the Federal Assembly in September.
The registration of unclaimed, heirless assets is expected to uncover millions of dollars left in Switzerland for safe keeping by European Jews who fell victims of the Nazi regime. The Swiss Government is expected to recover these heirless assets and turn them over to a fund to aid victims of Nazi persecution. Press estimates of the amounts involved have ranged from a few hundred thousand dollars to $100,000,000.
The law would require all Swiss depositories to notify the Federal Treasury of deposits they are holding for which no claim has been made since 1945. This notification has to be made within six months of the enactment of the law.
Details of the proposed law were discussed earlier this week by Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the Jewish Agency for Israel and of the World Jewish Congress, in meetings with President Friedrich Wahlen and Ludwig von Moos, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police.
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