This article centres on a comparison of the persecution and dispossession of Jews and forcibly resettled Luxembourgish families, referred to as Abgesiedelte, during the Second World War in Luxembourg. It investigates how the German occupation authorities used the confiscation of property from these groups to foster a sense of allegiance to the German “people’s community” (Volksgemeinschaft) within the territory. Drawing inspiration from the work of historian Raul Hilberg in The Destruction of the European Jews, the article conducts a comparative analysis of dispossession practices and asset seizure between the Jewish population and forcibly resettled individuals across three distinct phases: identification, dispossession, and liquidation. The research reveals that although the dispossession policies followed a similar procedural and logical path and served the common goal of promoting the Volksgemeinschaft, they were fundamentally distinct in their approach, ultimate objectives, and outcomes. Acting as an initial exploration, this article lays the foundation for a more comprehensive comparative study of these two victim groups during the Nazi occupation in Luxembourg.
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