In a move without precedent in the eight years since the Allied Powers took over control of Austria, the Soviet occupation authorities have consented to release some Jewish-owned property "organized" by the Nazis after the 1938 Anschluss, it was learned here today.
The property in question consists of several buildings located in the Soviet sector of Vienna which were owned by the Rothberger family and confiscated by the Nazis in 1938. An Austrian court returned the title to the property to the family but the Soviet authorities had up to now refused to recognize the court’s decision. The Soviet position has always been that such property was German-owned, therefore subject to seizure as enemy property, despite the original ownership.
At the last meeting of the executive committee of the Allied Control Council the Soviet representative offered to turn over the property to the Austrian Government for disposal at the discretion of the Austrian authorities. The Western representatives agreed.
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