Bidspirit auction | Official decree for the confiscation

Official decree for the confiscation of Jewish property in Austria following the ”Anschluss” – April 27, 1938 - Anleitung zur Ausfüllung des Vermögensverzeichnisses nach dem Stand des Vermögens vom 27. April 1938 – “Instructions for Filling Out the Property Declaration – According to the Status of Assets as of April 27, 1938” – official notice regarding the confiscation of Jewish property, as part of the Third Reich’s antisemitic economic policy in Austria following its annexation in March 1938. This is an official decree dated the day on which the Jewish Property Ordinance came into effect in the territories of Austria annexed by Nazi Germany after the Anschluss (March 12, 1938). In March 1938, following Austria’s annexation by Nazi Germany, German law was applied to Austrian Jews. On April 26, 1938, a decree was issued requiring every Jew (according to the Nazi definition) possessing assets worth more than 5,000 Reichsmarks to complete and submit a detailed property declaration. This form was part of the systematic process of Aryanization - the nationalization and plundering of Jewish property in Austria. The document outlines detailed practical regulations concerning Jewish assets. It includes the definition of who is considered a Jew for this purpose: Jews according to the racial definition—anyone with at least three Jewish grandparents. In certain cases, Mischlinge (those of mixed Jewish and non-Jewish ancestry) were also included, as well as non-Jewish spouses of Jews—even if they were not Jewish themselves. Among the stipulations: individuals were required to report only their personal property -not that of their children or spouses. Regarding Jewish property, the decree instructed that Jews must report their assets in detail, including non-income-generating property. This included inheritances or gifts received up to April 27, 1938. The listed property categories included: land, orchards, fishing areas, gardens, grazing fields, leased land, houses, plots, partial ownership of apartments, land designated for construction, etc.; as well as stocks, bonds, ownership rights to bank deposits, jewelry, precious coins, valuables, life insurance or pension plans, bank accounts, professional property (for lawyers, doctors, artists, etc.), receivables, loans, and mortgage debts - provided they could be verified. The decree set out detailed instructions on how to value each category of property, including formulas for calculating pension values, the worth of used personal belongings, artistic assets, and more. The primary goal was to centralize all financial data of Jews in preparation for its eventual confiscation. The form also contained a clear threat: errors or omissions in the declaration could result in fines, property seizure, or arrest. Following the Anschluss, Austria became an integral part of the German Reich, and this decree was one of the first official steps toward the systematic looting of Jewish property—through this mandatory declaration form imposed on every Jew in Austria. The forms, which were filled out within a short period by Austria’s Jews, served to create an exact asset registry. Based on this data, Jewish property was transferred to the state, to “Aryan” companies, or to trustees appointed for that purpose. In addition, on July 10, 1938, the Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Vienna (Zentralstelle für jüdische Auswanderung) was established under the direction of Adolf Eichmann. This office was not only responsible for organizing the expulsion of Jews, but also for the forced sale of their assets, coercing Jewish communities to finance the cost of their own “emigration.” Thousands of Jewish-owned businesses were subjected to Aryanization - they were confiscated and sold to Germans at absurdly low prices, or simply seized without any compensation at all. By the end of 1938, more than 30,000 private commercial properties had been transferred from Jewish hands to “Aryan” ownership, including banks, factories, offices, and residential buildings. [1] leaf. Printed on both sides. 30 × 21 cm. Very good condition.