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Crime-and-justice — Confirmed

Heirs of Nazi Victims Institute Legal Action Against Savings Bank: Tracing the Assets of Jewish Man Simson Cohn

Heir of Nazi Victim Files Lawsuit Against Saving Bank: What Happened to Simon Cohn's Financial Assets?

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Financial account and photograph of Simson Cohen, the ancestor whose grandson is taking legal...
Financial account and photograph of Simson Cohen, the ancestor whose grandson is taking legal action against the bank for savings.
  • *Author: Jack K.
  • Estimated Reading Time: Approx. 2 mins

In a groundbreaking court ruling, the Higher Regional Court of Hamm has upheld the stance of a regional bank: In the 1930s, the Nazis seized a bank account belonging to the Jewish butcher master Simson Cohn. His great-grandson, Marc Benseghir, has been striving to uncover the fate of the around €400,000. The Sparkasse at Volme and Ruhr, the bank in question, stonewalled the release of information.

Legally, the court ascertained, the heir of the Jewish family from Hagen lacks any claim to the account that once belonged to their ancestors during the Nazi dictatorship, as all claims have been time-barred since the 1970s.

The legislature established such a long extension of the period to allow victims of Nazi oppression a "reasonable opportunity" to assert their claims, the judges justified their decision. Yet, some critics argue this ruling misses the mark in this specific case, given that Benseghir only discovered the account in 2019 [1].

Determined to Seek Justice

"This is sheer nonsense," protested Benseghir to stern. "It's illogical to justify the ruling via the statute of limitations in this situation. Why? I only learned about the account in 2019." Until that time, banks cultivated a narrative of stalling and lying, asserts Benseghir.

"I now think the burden of proof lies with the bank," expressed Benseghir. "I will appeal the decision since we must advance through the subsequent courts, up to the Federal Court of Justice if necessary."

Bank's Silence Persists

The reasoning behind the Sparkasse at Volme and Ruhr withholding the information remains unclear. A spokesperson for the bank relayed to stern: "All surviving documents pertaining to account number 4409 were previously disclosed during the initial court proceedings."

Countless accusations have arisen against the Sparkasse for fabricating statements on the account's existence, the bank counters. "The Sparkasse never fabricated any statements. What we have stated corresponds to the current state of our knowledge at the time."

The Sparkasse at Volme and Ruhr rejoices in the ruling of the Higher Regional Court of Hamm: The judges of the OLG Hamm concurred with the bank's and the Hagen Regional Court's preliminary assessment.

"Truth Must Prevail"

"The demand to access the records of Jewish accounts from the Nazi era is absolutely necessary," opines Zwi Rappoport, the chairman of the Association of Jewish Communities of Westphalia-Lippe, whose jurisdiction includes Hamm.

"It's perplexing that the Sparkasse Hagen fails to address the historical implications of its complicity in the Nazi regime," proclaims Rappoport to stern. The descendants of the victims have been unceremoniously dismissed from the discussion. "It's hoped that an appeals court will exercise historical responsibility."

"The plaintiffs deserve a chance to unravel this mystery," emphasized Rappoport. "This would also serve the interest of the public-at-large."

Associated Topics:- Bank- Judaism- Nazism

[1] Discovery of a Hidden Account: The Specific Circumstances in the 'Simson Cohn' Case (getDataFromEnrichment("facts_and_discovery"))[2] Time-Barred Restrictions: Controversial Legal Mechanism in Restitution Claims (getDataFromEnrichment("time-barred_restrictions"))[3] Nazi Policies on Jewish Assets: Systematic Theft of Jewish Property (getDataFromEnrichment("nazi_policies_on_jewish_assets"))[4] Post-War Restitution Efforts: An Examination of the Challenges (getDataFromEnrichment("post_war_restitution_efforts"))[5] Opening Nazi-Era Financial Archives: A Step Towards Justice (getDataFromEnrichment("opening_nazi-era_financial_archives"))*

  • The European Parliament has a right to vote on the opening of Nazi-era financial archives, a step towards justice for Holocaust victims and their descendants.
  • The banking industry, including the Sparkasse at Volme and Ruhr, has been entangled in controversies surrounding the theft of Jewish assets during Nazi dictatorship, with business practices that have fruitfully survived since the war.
  • A descendant of Jewish victim Simson Cohn, Marc Benseghir, has confirmed his intent to appeal the court ruling that denied his claim to a stolen fortune, highlighting a crime-and-justice issue in general-news.
  • The entanglement of finance and business in the Holocaust era is a crucial aspect of the industry's history, with the abundance of hidden accounts still awaiting discovery.
  • The Association of Jewish Communities of Westphalia-Lippe, including its chairman Zwi Rappoport, advocates for the truth about Jewish accounts to prevail in the Simson Cohn case, asserting the importance of addressing historical implications and the necessity to provide descendants with a fair opportunity for restitution.

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