The French Government today issued a decree voiding all transactions consummated during the occupation with the consent of the owners if the enemy directly or indirectly acquired property rights belonging to French individuals or corporations in France or abroad.
Many ostensibly legal sales were made during the occupation by Jews and other persons who knew that if they did not dispose of their property it would be taken from them eventually by the authorities. Up to now the government had indicated some reluctance to voiding such transactions.
Today’s decree also provides that in the case of such property, the government may take possession if the seller was paid with funds either directly or indirectly obtained from the French treasury during the occupation, or received payment in kind.
This provision could enable the state to seize almost all of the disputed property since the French treasury was compelled to remit 500,000,000 franes daily to the Germans, and any cash payment made by the Germans might be considered to be funds indirectly extorted from the treasury.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
