The Bulgarian Government, which has embarked on a wide-spread anti-Semitic campaign affecting both the cultural and economic life of the country, since the passage by the Bulgarian Parliament earlier this month of a series of “Nuremberg laws,” today issued the latest of a series of anti-Jewish decrees.
The Sofia radio announced that Jewish religious and educational organizations are no longer permitted to own any kind of real estate. Such property will be taken over by the Government, the Sofia broadcaster stated. He also announced that property in Bulgaria belonging to Jews who have left the country since the outbreak of the war would likewise be seised. Compensation for this property will be paid in the form of government bonds which will be redeemable over a period of twenty years, according to the official decree.
At the same time the Sofia radio disclosed that in addition to the large ghetto which will be established for all the Jews of Sofia, another ghetto in which all Jews residing in other sections of the country will be concentrated will soon be set up. No indication was given as to where this ghetto will be located.
Commenting on the difficulty involved in confiscating Jewish-owned enterprises and property, the Bulgarian radio stated that a special “economic police force” was being formed to assist the regular police in “ferreting out” Jewish property.
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.
