Share of emigrant assets seized by the Nazi regime 1933-1937

The Reichsfluchtsteuer, or emigration tax, was introduced by the German government in 1931 as a means of dissuading wealthy individuals from emigrating during the Great Depression. This tax was set at 25 percent of all assets, for those with assets worth over 200,000 Reichsmarks (RM), or those who earned more than 20,000 RM per year. Following the Nazi Party's rise to power in 1933, this law was then appropriated to target Jews, who were being driven out of Germany through violence, persecution, and the boycott of their business. As Jews emigrated to countries such as the U.S., France, or Poland, they were forced to pay this tax. However, authorities manipulated the transfer process to seize and withhold assets from Jews and other minority groups, and the total sums paid out were much lower. For the total period of 1933 to 1937, over 77 percent of emigrant assets were taken by the Nazi regime, which was equal to roughly 780 million Reichsmarks. Approximately 90 percent of this total value was taken from Jews and other persecuted minorities.