‘Going to Szaber’ – What Happened to the Jewish Property in Poland,1944–1948

Abstract

The issue of property restitution in Poland became an important topic immediately after the end of the German occupation. Following the war, the Polish government implemented various decrees to manage abandoned and ownerless properties, which were often seized from Jewish individuals. Based on these central-level regulations, the article examines local practices within the institutions involved, as well as the associated negotiation processes. These were conducted through petitions and letters to the authorities, but also through numerous court proceedings. The negotiations over the distribution of the property of the murdered Jews were characterised by a high degree of continuity. In addition to practices already established during the occupation, many of the same people were involved. Former employees of the trust administration under German occupation and administrators of houses, shops or businesses belonging to the Jewish population who had already been appointed at that time sought to obtain or confirm their positions in post-war Poland. Furthermore, rationalisation and legitimisation strategies regarding the appropriation of Jewish property were similar. A central thesis of the article is that the occupation period and the post-war years up to 1948 should be examined more closely with regard to the treatment of Jewish property.