THE FATE OF SWISS PROPERTY IN THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF CROATIA (1941-1945)

The fact that the Swiss Confederation did not diplomatically recognize the Independent State of Croatia had an important influence on the fate of Swiss property in Croatia. Nonetheless, Croatian officials tried to provide as much protection for Swiss property as they possibly could. It was clear that the government attempted to keep lines of communication to the neutral world open, also through Switzerland (and Turkey), Croatia had access to free currencies. As a result, Croatian authorities took measures to prevent the Germans and German capital to takeover key economic units in Croatia. As regards the protection of Swiss property, Croatia and Switzerland were satisfied, though these measures often hurt Jewish property owners. But in terms of trade, which was limited by objective factors and German political interference, both sides were dissatisfied.