Debates on the Restitution of Romanianized Property during the Antonescu Regime, 1940–1944

Abstract

Abstract Many Jewish and non-Jewish Romanians seriously considered and debated the reversal of Romanian seizures of Jewish property (Romanianization) during the Antonescu regime. While the former hoped for full restitution, the majority of the latter opposed the return of Romanianized property. In particular, beneficiaries of Romanianization feared losing their recent acquisitions. Nonetheless, some Jews managed to recover property during the Antonescu regime after petitioning the courts and administrative offices. As a radical antisemite, Antonescu was not motivated by a desire to help the Jews, but rather by concerns about budgetary losses, economic collapse, growing distrust in the security of property rights, and the prospect of postwar peace negotiations. Wartime debates by Jews, non-Jews, and government officials reveal that from 1940 to 1944, the restitution of “illegally” seized property became, in some circumstances, an accepted practice.