Wiesenthal Center Strongly Condemns Ruling Of German Federal Administrative Court That Heirs Of Veteran Nazis Be Granted Restitution For Property Confiscated As Punishment After World War II
The Simon Wiesenthal Center today strongly condemned the ruling issued yesterday by the German Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig which granted significant financial restitution to the sonof a Nazi official whose property had been confiscated after the World War II in punishment for his active support of the Nazi regime.
The person in question, Karl Krasting joined the Nazi party in 1930. From 1931 until 1934 he was a party judge in aregional district, and later served as an official who helped decide local policy, a member of the Nazis' lawyer association and director of the office for legal affairs of the NSDAP on thesame level. Yet according to the deision rendered yesterday in the the 3rd Senate of the Federal Administrative Court
by Judge Dieter Kley, Krasting did not "actively" support the Nazi regime, paving the way for his son to receive compensation.
"This verdict clearly minimizes the criminal responsibility of those who actively supported the Nazis before andafter the takeover of power,“ said Dr.Efraim Zuroff, the Center's chief Nazi-hunter in a statement issued today in Israel and Germany.
According to Zuroff:
"The fact that Krasting volunteered and worked without a salary for the NSDAP is clear proof of his ideological and activesupport for the Nazis, in direct contradiction of the court's decision.This verdict sends an absolutely disastrous message in terms of its presentation of the historical events of the Third Reichwhich are being severely distorted."
In 1948, the Soviet military confiscated two houses belonging to Krasting in Dippoldiswalde/Saxonia. His son Wolf-Achim Krasting called for restitution. But the city of Dresden and thelocal administrative court initially refused the claim. The recent decision of the Federal Court has extremely significant implications. In Saxonia alone, there are already about 5500 similarcases pending.
"If people like Krasting did not "actively" support the Nazi regime, then who did? Were the crimes of the Third Reichcommitted by ghosts?" Zuroff added.
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