Corruption in the Process of Aryanization of Jewish Enterprise Property in the War-time Slovak Republic, 1939–1945

During 1939 – 1945, the Slovak Jews were dispossessed of all types of their property and this was transferred to non-Jews. This process is referred to as Aryanization. An integral part of Aryanization was the disposition and transfer of the Jewish property. Of the total of 12 300 companies, some 2300 were Aryanized and the rest was liquidated.
The Aryanization process of company property, later on taking its radical shape, from the start contained elements of decision making on the basis of the political profile of the applicants for the Aryanization of the company. Each applicant for the Aryanization of the particular piece of Jewish company was obliged to undergo a procedure and assessment by the political structures of the state regime: the Hlinka Slovak People's Party, the Hlinka Guard and the Deutsche Partei. The main organizer of the Aryanization of the companies. Principles of political favoritism were applied throughout the process. The decisive body of Aryanization of the business property – the Central Economic Office – having received opinions of the political structures, was issuing rulings on the transfer of businesses, or shares in the businesses to the non-Jewish population. If a conflict of interest between the HSĽS and the Deutsche Partei arose, the Central Economic Office would rule on this situation in the so called mixed commission of representatives from both power structures.
Where the political favoritism ended, there the realm form of favoritism, classical profiteering and further forms of corruption in the Aryanization of businesses began. The Central Economic Office and other bodies, issuing rulings on the Aryanization process, were marked with conflict of interest, nepotism and bribery at their highest levels. The said forms of corruption pertained to all phases of the Aryanization process.