Memorie.al / Where did the assets that were confiscated from those labeled as “enemies of the people” and “war criminals” end up? Who administered them? What part was left to their families and how were the files of these confiscations dealt with? A series of documents from the period January-March 1947 prove that this story had many dark sides. And there is no mention here of the legality of this act, which was taken simply and only for political reasons (the vast majority were opponents of the communist regime).
Although more than two years had passed and the vast majority of political trials had been closed, the communist regime had not yet taken serious steps to register these assets, their nationalization and the regular administration of this asset. The local commissions established in 1945 for confiscations did not function properly and a good part of the assets under seizure was damaged or disappeared.
In a letter dated January 18, 1947, the Ministry of Finance notes that; “the administration of this estate is subject to sequestration, brings great complications and has opened up a very big job to the peripheral Financial Sections, which are forced to administer and keep individual accounts for each person. In addition to this, the definitive non-systematization of this estate has resulted in the destruction and disappearance of a significant part of it”.
For this reason, this ministry had issued a circular for the vast majority of the prefectures of Albania, where it laid out in 13 points how this property, which was taken from opponents of the regime, should be administered.
The circular was followed by a series of other letters, until March of 1947, testifying to the strengthening of this state action, to clarify record and at the same time justify one of the most unprecedented robberies of private property in the history of the country.
Below we present the first two documents, to continue the publication of other documents, afterwards.
Document 1
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
V.F. L.P
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
DIRECTORATE OF REVENUE
No. 3/18
Tirana, on 18/I/1947
SUBJECT: On the non-functioning of the Commissions for the confiscation of private assets.
PRIME MINISTER
T i r a n e
With the law No. 40 dated 14.1.1945 modified by Decree-Law No. 249 dt. 27. V.1946, before the creation and operation of local Commissions, for the confiscation of private property of war criminals and enemies of the people.
From the day of liberation onwards, various courts have given a number of punitive decisions, in which the pre-orders and the immediate or partial confiscation of movable and immovable assets of these persons. These assets have been under sequestration for a long time, waiting for their confiscation to be decided by the above-mentioned Commissions.
The administration of this property involves sequestration, brings great complications and has opened up a very big job to the peripheral Financial Sections, which are forced to administer and keep individual accounts for each person.
In addition to this, the definitive non-systematization of this estate has resulted in the destruction and disappearance of a significant part of it.
As far as this Ministry is concerned, all the relevant files have been referred to these Commissions for a long time, but they have not given it the importance it needs right away and so the work has come to be piled up continuously.
With repeated orders, this Ministry has requested from the Executive Committees of the Prefectures that these Commissions start their work once and put an end to these actions as soon as possible, but until today, except for some sporadic decisions of the Commissions in the Prefectures of Tirana, Peshkopi, Vlora, Gjinokastra and Berat, none of the other prefectures have started work yet.
In order for this considerable wealth to find the right system, i.e., to separate what will be confiscated in favor of the State, from what will be left to the families of the convicted, so the State Property Offices , to take under administration the part that belongs to the State, we ask you to intervene with the Central Commission and the local Commissions, for the confiscation of private property, to put an end to these actions as soon as possible, if possible set a deadline within which, the review of the relative files is completed.
MINISTER OF FINANCE:
(Signature, seal)
Document 2
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
V.F.L. P.
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
Revenue Directorate
No. 3/19
Tirana, on 21.I.1947
CIRCUIT
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE PREFECTURE
– Financial Section –
Durrës-Tirana-Shkodër-Korçë-Vlorë-Berat-Elbasan-Gjinokastër-Kukës-Peshkopi
SUBJECT: Instructions on the systematization of seized assets.
Lately, the Local Commissions for the confiscation of private assets of some Prefectures have started by examining the relevant files on the confiscation of the assets of war criminals and enemies of the people.
The completion of this work was imposed an hour ago, because, in addition to other considerations, it severely damages the interests of the State Treasury and hinders the opportunities for a better and economical administration of the assets, which in this case pass to the State.
For these reasons, we request that all appropriate assistance and incentives be given to the Commissions in question, to speed up the adoption of confiscation decisions. We emphasize that until today these Commissions have not moved at the right pace, therefore it is necessary to speed up the actions, keep us updated and specify the causes that eventually hinder this work.
Olive groves, orchards, bread lands, which are captured by the Agrarian Reform law, should not appear in the Confiscation Decisions, but these will be confiscated and will be notified to the Agrarian Reform Office, which will distribute them to the peasants who work them.
In order to avoid excessive correspondence, from now on we find it necessary to write in a concise way, all the instructions about the actions you must perform, with the passage of this estate into its definitive administration. Therefore, whenever you receive copies of confiscation decisions from the Local Commission for the confiscation of private assets, you will act as follows:
1- For all immovable property, you will request from the Mortgage Offices the transcription in favor of the State and based on these notes-transcriptions, you will make the registration in the basic books of the State properties and conclude the appropriate contracts.
2- Moveable property such as: furniture, household furnishings, etc., small things of this nature, must be sold to State stores. For that part that is not taken from the State stores, the sale by public auction should take place.
3- Different amounts of garbage, which can eventually be confiscated, be sold, against payment, to the NTSH of garbage collection.
4 – Cattle will be sold to the nearest State Farms, after their value has been determined by a Commission, where Finance and the Farm are represented. Those cattle that are not bought by Farms should be sold at public auction.
5 – The vibration or oil mills, if the Ministry of Economy does not take them under its administration, shall be administered by the offices of the State Treasury in the economy.
6 – Various machinery (Trucks, vans, cars, etc.) must be handed over to the A.T.A.SH. Agency with regular minutes and after their value has been invoiced.
7- The various parts of the machines, which can be confiscated, be handed over, always with minutes and, after the value has been invoiced, to those State Entities that have in their administration that type of machine, e.g. , cinematographic material, is submitted to the Film Agency, etc.
8 – The seeded olives will be delivered against payment to the Entity for the collection of olives and other trees, will be sold by public auction.
9- Used household goods, such as mattresses, quilts, sheets, kitchen utensils, etc., will be delivered to the State stores, against payment, and if they do not receive them, they will be sold by auction.
10- In cases where the person whose property is confiscated has obligations to third parties and when these obligations are expressly mentioned in the confiscation decision, then from the income of his property, you will liquidate
11- Income from the sale of movable property or from liquid assets, as well as income during the administration period in sequestration, after deducting the expenses from the date of sequestration until the date of confiscation, these will be poured into the Title Chapter I, Art. 3 of the National budget.
12- For the entire period of administration under seizure of the estate of any of the above-mentioned persons, you will send this Ministry a record in the form of a report, in which you will give a detailed account of you regularly document your income and expenses. At the same time, you will also send us the records of the eventual sales, for the entire playable property, within the shortest possible time.
13- In order to complete the relevant registrations, in the basic books of the State Property Section under this Department and to be in conformity with the books kept by the State Property Offices in all districts, at the end of every six months, we will send the forms Mod.16/I bis, where it appears to register all confiscated and transcribed immovable property, in the name of the State. Memorie.al
Minister of Finance:
(Signature, seal)
