Abstract
During the Second World War, of the approximately 107,000 people deported to the death camps from The Netherlands, only some 5200 returned. The possessions of 135,000 Dutch Jews were robbed in a systematic fashion. It was generally based on ordinances (Verordnungen) that had the force of statute law, and sometimes on ‘measures’, ‘decrees’ or ‘orders’ issued by the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) (see, for example, Plate 8). The SD’s orders usually sanctioned the theft of bicycles, radios and household effects. It also sold stamps, with which deportation temporarily could be postponed, as we will see later. The National Socialist occupying forces went to remarkable lengths to give the theft (often euphemistically referred to as ‘surrender’) a semblance of legality. The ordinances governed non-commercial associations and foundations, companies, and individuals.
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Notes
Stephan H. Lindner, ‘Das Reichskommissariat für die Behandlung feindlichen Vermögens im Zweiten Weltkrieg’, in Zeitschrift für Unternehmengeschichte, Hans Pohl und Wilhelm Treue (ed.), Beiheft 67, 1991, pp. 161–7.
L. de Jong, Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog, vol. 5, part 1, pp. 418–23.
See: Gerard Aalders, ‘Three Ways of German Economic Penetration in the Netherlands: Cloaking, Capital Interlocking and “Aryanization”’, in Die ‘Neuordnung’ Europas. NS-Wirtschaftspolitik in den besetzten Gebieten, Richard J. Overy, Gerhard Otto and Johannes Houwink ten Cate (eds). Omnia Treuhandgesellschaft G.m.b.H. was a German accounting firm with a branch in The Hague since the autumn of 1941.
B. Karlsberg, Beschleuniging durch Besondere Verfahren, Sammelverfahren Belgien, Frankreich, Niederlande (Muich, 1981); also de Jong, Koninkrijk, vol. 6, part 1, pp. 279–80; Presser, Ondergang, pp. 99–101; RvO, Collectie 281, Box 37, 43, 44, 45 (‘S-actie’) and idem, ‘Notifies voor het Geschiedwerk’, no. 112: Der Entziehungsvorgang bei der Sog. Sperrdiamanten-Aktion und die im Individualfall vorliegenden Beweisunterlagen. Today’s worth of 10 million guilders is roughly 114 million guilders (57 million US dollars).
Joh De Vries, Een Eeuw Vol Effecten. Historische schets van de Vereniging voor de Effectenhandel en de Amsterdamse Effectenbeurs 1876–1976, p. 203.
See for an extensive treatment of a Swedish case: Gerard Aalder and Cees Wiebers, The Art of Cloaking Ownership: The Secret Collaboration and the Protection of the German War Industry by the Neutrals. The Case of Sweden (Amsterdam, 1996), pp. 93–104.
Quoted from Hennie van Schie, ‘Rostoration of Economics Rights after 1945’, Dutch Jewish History (Jerusalem: Institute for Research on Dutch Jewry, 1984), p. 404.
R. A. Kiek, ‘Vermögens verdwenen joden vloeien in de staatskas’ in Nieue Israelisch Weekblad, 3 August 1985.
B Karlsberg, Beschleuniging durch besondere Verfahren, Sammelverfahren (Belgien, Frankreich, Niederlande) (Munich, 1981). The German Democratic Republic never did participate in any form of Wiedergutmachung reparation.
Adriaan Venema, Kunsthandel in Nederland 1940–1945, pp. 172–185 and pp. 489–493.
Gerard Aalders, ‘By Diplomatic Pouch: Art Smuggling by the Nazis’, Spoils of War: International Newsletter, no. 3 (December 1996).
Konstantin Akinsha, and Grigorii Kozlov, Stolen Tresure: The Hunt for the World’s lost Masterpieces (London, 1995).
Lien Heyting, ‘Kunstroof en Recuperatie’ (Art looting and Restitution series) in NRC-Handelsblad, 10 October 7, 14 and 21 November 1997; idem, De dubbele agenda van A.B. de Vries. Fraudes bij de Stichting Nederlands Kunst-bezit, in NRC-Handelsblad, 27 March 1998.
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© 2001 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
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Aalders, G. (2001). The Robbery of Dutch Jews and Postwar Restitution. In: Beker, A. (eds) The Plunder of Jewish Property during the Holocaust. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333985281_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780333985281_17
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