Public Resistance

Other mitigating factors are the apathy of some and the hostility of many German people toward the very idea of reclamation and restitution of property. Restitution is a historical necessity. It is a vehicle of justice. But it is enmeshed in legal complexities that have overwhelmed an already overburdened judicial system.

Municipalities and Local Housing Authorities German Municipalities have condemned and acquired numerous restitution properties which should have been returned to their rightful owners. They concluded that these properties should be used to build new residential units, office buildings and industrial parks, to generate traffic flow, small businesses and jobs. Quite clearly, these “takeovers” undermine the value of many properties, including those owned by Jewish individuals and placed on “Liste C”, the priority list for restitution of properties.

People who want to reclaim properties stolen by the Nazis during the war and who want deal in this real estate market, must therefore anticipate political events and their economic consequences. They need information to decide whether or not to dispose of their property in Eastern Germany. Unless a client is interested in long-term investment and development of the property, and has the means to wait out the market and government restrictions, Frenkiel International urges those who are about to take possession of their restituted properties to sell immediately to obtain maximum value for their holdings.

Why?